Silent Auction
by kitkat681
Summary: Up for Auction: Bella Swan, human. Bidding to start at 10,000.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is not mine. I wish!

A/N: So this is the VERY FIRST thing I have written since college. Please let me know what you think.

BPOV

Stupid truck. I banged my head on the steering wheel for the 50th time, wondering why I kept this thing around. It was new in 1945, and I knew that I was expecting a lot, but was it too much to ask that it just starts so I could get home from class?

I had just finished my last class of my freshman year at Seattle Pacific University. Having taken every Gen. Ed course known to man, I still had no idea what to major in. I was just glad that the year was over and I had a full summer to think about what I wanted to do with my life. But right now I just had to find my cell and call my Dad, Charlie to see if there was any way he could come and pick me up, since the 'Beast' was dead.

I had no idea what shift Charlie was working at the Police station, but hopefully he could drive the 3 ½ hours one way and pick my ass up. It was the least he could do since I had been his own personal chef and slave since my freshman year of high school when I left my Mom and moved in with him. He never really asked me to do all the things I did for him, it was just what I was used to doing. My Mom was a horrid cook and could not keep track of a check book to save her life. So it was left to me to be the adult in that relationship and it just worked out the same when I went to live with him.

I was still digging through the shithole I call a purse when I caught a whiff of something wonderful. It smelled like limes and green grass and fresh rain, and I wanted to bottle that shit and sell it on QVC, I would make millions. As I turned to see what it was, I was thrown against the door of the 'Beast,' and I dropped to the asphalt. _Man that shit hurt._ My shoulder was screaming, but I used all of my self defense training to push myself up from the ground and launch my elbow toward my attacker's crotch. He moved faster than I could adjust for and I ended up gracelessly falling back on the ground. My arm was wrenched up at an awkward angle and I screamed in pain. The mystery asshole only chuckled at my outburst, and with that dark sound I knew I was in a shitload of trouble. This was not just your everyday rapist. Something told me I was not gonna survive it all intact.

He grabbed my face and waved a vial under my nose, causing blinding pain to rocket up into my brain as I inhaled. It felt like I had overdosed on wasabi, and my brain was gonna shoot through the top of my skull. Thankfully the pain did not last long and I lapsed into darkness. I could still feel everything, but my mind had shut off. My body was lifted and placed into a car. I heard the car start, but I could not move or yell or fight. I could only lay there and listen as my life was whisked away.

EPOV

_Why am I here?_

Alice. I was really starting to hate these visions of hers, especially when she hides them from me. If I heard her recite "Romeo and Juliet" in Portuguese one more time, I thought I might go insane.

She told me nothing except that I had to be in this God awful place. My first human auction. I knew these things existed, but never thought that I would have to attend one. This is where the worst kind of vampires find a slave, or God forbid, a suck and fuck. I was there for neither. In fact I had no idea why I was there.

I stood alone, watching and trying not to listen to the revolting thoughts that were surrounding me. I could tell which vampires would be going home with a housekeeper and which would be going home with a snack. I could only imagine the thoughts of the humans who would be on the auction block.

I had no idea where they found these humans. Were they willing or had they been kidnapped and forced to be here? I guess their thoughts would tell me soon enough. A gong sounded somewhere, and the crowd got anxious. There were more then fifty Vampires gathered in the room, none of which were familiar to me. My family had never participated in this kind of thing. We could do our own laundry and cleaning, and there was no reason to have a chef. I can't imagine how hard it would be for a human to find and catch a mountain lion and serve it up for me.

The auctioneer appeared at the top of the stairs and immediately everyone's attention was on him. He was very tall and lean, with long brown hair and bright maroon eyes. I was the only one here with golden eyes, a testament to my "vegetarian" lifestyle. He spoke rapidly, faster than the best human auctioneer but everyone here could understand. There would be nine humans up for auction. Again, I was at a loss as to why I was here, but as the women and men descended the stairs, I started to understand why Alice would want to keep this vision from me.

Most of their thoughts were of fear. They had no idea why they were there. Some found a listing on Craigslist looking for an "open minded individual to serve a household, excellent pay." Their lives were singular, no family waiting for them at home and the thought of easy money swayed them. Now here they were in a room full of red eyed monsters about to live out their worst nightmare. There were six women and three men. The men were hoping to be purchased by one of the several incredibly beautiful women in the room. They had no idea how vicious a succubus could be, they would simply be used for sex and then drained. There was no hope for them.

The six women at least stood a chance of finding a place in a decent household as a housekeeper, washing human blood out of clothes and helping to entice humans in for a "dinner party." There were five women there willingly, ready to work for money. The last one was terrified, I could tell from her body language alone. She was shaking and hiding behind long brown hair, and I was completely intrigued. Of all the minds in this room, hers was the only one I was unable to hear. I could hear and see the thoughts of sex and fear and money, but hers were silent. I knew then why Alice had sent me, I was there for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 2

**BPOV**

We had been moving forever. There were no sounds from the front of the car, no radio, no talking. I was still immobile, only my brain was working, and it was working in overdrive. I had tried to keep track of how many lefts and rights the car was making in hopes that when we stopped I would have some idea of where we were. After 27 right turns, I gave up. There was no way I was gonna remember where we were.

I had been trying to wiggle my toes, thinking that if I started moving them, the rest of my body would soon follow. I had gotten the baby toe on my right foot moving when the car stopped. I was so scared you could have filled a bathtub with my sweat. I was lifted up out of the car and draped over someone's shoulder. Maybe I could poke his eye out with my now mobile baby toe, not that I thought it would do much good, but it was the only option I had.

I was bumped along over his shoulder for 324 steps (I counted) before I was dumped onto the floor.

"Clean her up and get her ready, we start in 20 minutes" The dark chuckler said.

"Man, what did you do to her shoulder, Aro is not gonna be happy that the prime merchandise is damaged." Responded a light female voice. Hope filled me, maybe I could get her to help me.

That thought was demolished as soon as I felt her strong hands wrap around my wrists and jerk me to standing. She threw me into a chair and used something to tie around me so I would stay sitting upright in the chair. She pulled and yanked at my hair, used something cold to wash my face and then sprayed me with some viscous smelling perfume, no doubt trying to cover up the rank smell of my fear induced sweat.

I was slowly coming out of my haze, finally able to open my eyes. I still did not have total control over my body, but I could see. I was in a non-descript bedroom. The woman tending to me was beautiful. She had strawberry blond hair that fell in waves to her incredibly small waist. Her face was porcelain white and stunning. She was facing down trying to put my feet into strappy heels. I wish I could have spoken to tell her that I would kill my clumsy ass trying to walk in those shoes.

She looked up from her task at my feet to look at my face. This must be what evil looks like, beautiful and deadly. Her eyes were blood red, like nothing I have ever seen. She smiled at me, and I knew I was right, I was not going to survive whatever they had planned for me there. Rising gracefully, she walked over towards the bed and picked up a blue dress, and I knew it was meant for me. I had no idea how she would get me into it, I was dead weight and there was no way she could lift me. She untied the rope holding me upright and grabbed me under the arms, lifting me effortlessly and tossed me onto the bed. Using only her fingers, she tore my shirt and bra down the middle and then tore open the button and zipper of my jeans. I was only in my panties (pink polka-dot if you wanted to know) in a matter of seconds. It was then that I understood that I was the only human in the room. .

After she all but poured me into the blue dress, she left me on the bed and went out the door. The dark chuckler followed her back into the room, and they both came to the bed. He bent over me held another vial under my nose. This time it was not wasabi burn, but a brain freeze that I felt. I instinctually pulled my hands up to my head, and was surprised when they cooperated.

"There, now you will find that you can move again," he said. "Get up and follow me."

This was not a request, so I slid myself off the end of the bed and stood on wobbly legs. I hit the floor on my first step, these stupid fucking heels. I looked up at my beautiful captors with a smirk.

"How the fuck do you expect me to walk in these death-traps?" _Shit, when will my mind-to-mouth filter kick in, I was 19_. I think most people had perfected that by the time they got out of grade school.

"Well, a little blood might get Aro a better price anyway," Dark Chuckler said.

He pulled me through the door and dragged me down the hall. At the top of an impressing set of stairs were eight other people. They all looked lost and frightened and I am sure the same expression was on my face as well. A loud gong sounded from somewhere below and I saw through the railing that a crowd had gathered. They were all looking towards a man with long brown hair. He was speaking so quickly that all I could hear was a low hum. He turned with a flourish towards the steps and the other people started down the stairs. I was concentrating intently watching my feet to make sure I did not fall. I was thankful that my long hair was making a curtain around my face. I wanted to hide as long as I could.

**EPOV**

She was standing so still, as if she was hoping that she could blend into the furniture. Her hair still covered her face and I could see her trembling from where I stood. I had been holding my breath since I discovered that her mind was quiet to me, the surprise making me pause. I opened my lungs once again and was floored to feel a fiery blaze make its way down my throat. I had been proud that my bloodlust had been under control for so long, but I had never encountered an essence such as this. I looked around wildly, trying to see which one of these nine humans was going to bring the end of my "vegetarian" lifestyle. There was no way I could resist this temptation, I had to have it.

The auctioneer was encouraging everyone to come up and look over the merchandise. This was my chance to get closer and see who was so tempting. The heavenly fragrance only got stronger as I got closer to the end of the line, where the silence was. Of course it would be her, why wouldn't it be?

She was standing straight and tall, proud even though her life was about to be snapped up by one of these monsters in front of her. The other buyers were getting closer to her as well, and I felt an instant rush of jealousy. A very tall man in front of me tried to reach up and push her hair away from her face, but without warning she smacked his hand away. Her head snapped up, face flushing madly and looked at him with ferocious eyes.

"Keep your fucking hands off me." She said. Her voice betrayed none of the fear I knew she must have felt.

The auctioneer came over and stood behind her to try and resolve the situation. He reached around and pulled her hair away from her face, securing it behind her right shoulder. She kept her head up and stared blankly into the faces in front of her. I was waiting for her to make eye contact with me, to see if maybe I could hear her when she was looking at me. Her gaze drifted over to me and she physically started, no doubt noticing the difference in my eye color. Unfortunately, there was no change in her silent mind.

The auctioneer walked over to the podium and picked up a gavel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to Volterra. I am Aro, your auctioneer for the evening. Please let me introduce our stock for this evening's auction."

Aro proceeded to list the names and ages of the people standing at the base of the stairs. I had no interest in the others, I waited with baited breath to see the name of the woman who had captured my interest.

"And last, but not least, our spit-fire Isabella Swan, age 19. She is not here willingly but when our Demetri saw her, he could not resist adding her to our assortment this evening." He said proudly.

No wonder she was so angry, I would be as well if I had been taken against my will and sold to the highest bidder. The crowd was anxious for the bidding to start, having picked which of these humans they wanted to bid on. The auction started, but I was unable to look away from Isabella. She was still standing tall and looking around the room, drifting over my face more than once. I could tell she was curious why my eyes were different than the others in the room. I tried to keep her attention when she glanced at me, but she was starting to get more agitated as Aro made his way down the line.

Most of the auctions ended between $10,000 and $50,000. There were several bidding wars for the younger women, they were not going to be housekeepers, and my mind shied away from the winners of those women, knowing what they had in store for them.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful beta, Dalloway5906 who took time on this snowy day to make sure my grammar was not too appalling. Which it was, so you should all be thankful she got her hands on this first!

Chapter 3

BPOV

I had noticed the one face in the crowd that was different. His topaz gaze intrigued me, and I found myself wondering why his eyes were unlike the other creatures in the room. I could tell he was trying to get my attention, attempting to convey something through his expression. I had no idea what he could be trying to tell me, because there was certainly nothing good that was going to come out of this. When he made such an outrageous bid for me, I was shocked. Here I was, plain old me, being purchased for that kind of money. I had no idea what was going to be expected of me, but I knew it was not going to be pretty.

My new "owner" made his way up to the podium where the creepy Aro was standing. I figured he was trying to complete his business transaction. I guess I should feel honored that I was priced the highest among the other offerings, but that did little for my peace of mind. The other winners came up to collect their new property and I was stunned to see that they seemed to go willingly with these animals. What kind of voodoo were these monsters using?

Mr. Topaz finished his business and started over towards me. No way was I going without a fight. As I started to look around me for an escape route, I found my wrists locked in an iron grip. My kidnapper had come up behind me and was holding me captive. As he got closer to me I only struggled harder, and when he reached me I tried valiantly to escape. I heard the crunching of my bones before I felt the pain, but as the agony invaded my mind, it finally pushed me over the edge of consciousness.

I could feel the pain even through the darkness. I was surprised that I had lasted as long as I had. My dislocated shoulder was excruciating, couple that with the fear of what was happening to me, and my brain shut down to try and protect my sanity. I could only hope that this was all a dream and I would wake up next to my truck.

In what felt like only minutesI began to hear voices through the haze.

"I think he broke her wrist, and there might be something wrong with her shoulder. I should have done more than just tear his arms off after he hurt her like that," said a masculine voice. His voice was so rich and smooth, like chocolate mousse.

A deep voice responded while a pair of hands gingerly assessed my shoulder. "Yes, her wrist is broken and it appears she has a dislocated shoulder. She must have been in an extreme amount of pain. Could you hear that in her thoughts?"

"No Carlisle, I could not hear her thoughts at all. I have never experienced anything like this in my 91 years," from the velvet voice.

Mind reading, huh this was really turning into something out of a book. I had already figured out that these people were not human, but now it was getting freaky. What was next, was I going to find out they could fly?

"Edward, just so you know she can hear you," a melodic female chimed in. "She should be waking up any minute."

Well what do you know, she was right. I could feel myself coming out of the fog, but I kept my eyes closed momentarily for fear of what I would find. Figuring it was better to face my fate head on, I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by three of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. There was Mr. Topaz, the highest bidder. He was standing next to a girl that could have given Tinker Bell a run for her money. She was tiny with spiky black hair and was almost pulsating with excitement. On her other side was a blonde angel, decked out in a suit and tie with a stethoscope draped over his neck. They all had the same butterscotch eyes. If it weren't for the pain, I would have thought I had gone to heaven.

"Welcome Bella, we are going to be such good friends!" squealed Tink. "I am Alice and this is Carlisle. I believe you already know Edward."

So Mr. Topaz had a name, and it seemed to fit him to a tee, formal and stuffy. He was standing stiffly to the side with a pained look on his face. If I made the same face I would look constipated, but on him it only made him look even more beautiful. I turned to look at Carlisle, who only needed a white coat to finish my quickly developing hot doctor fantasy.

"Bella it seems that you have a dislocated shoulder and a fractured wrist. I was able to do a reduction while you were unconscious, and the X-ray shows no further damage to the joint. You should wear that sling for a while. I set your wrist and applied a cast. It should be able to come off in..."

"Yeah I know, 6-8 weeks. I have broken this wrist 3 times already." The words were out of my mouth before I could even process them. I had no idea if these people were dangerous, and yet I still could not get my mouth to cooperate and stay shut.

"Yes, that is correct. I can do another x-ray in a month and see how it is healing. We may be able to take the cast off and give you a removable splint then."Carlisle looked surprised at my outburst, but continued.

Well at least I would still be alive in a month. Maybe they were waiting for me to be completely healed before they subjected me to whatever torture they had planned for me. I really wished I had cashed in my V-card with Mike Newton senior year when I had the chance. It would have been better to do it in the back of his parent's Suburban than to worry about what I would be facing here. I was finding it hard to look at these three gorgeous creatures and see them as dangerous. Beautiful exteriors did not mean they were not ugly on the inside though, and I knew it would be in my best interest to remember that.

Alice seemed to be having some kind of silent conversation with Edward, and after coming to some sort of conclusion she turned towards me. I could tell that a decision had been made, but I was not sure I was going to like it.

"Well Bella, now that your injuries have been taken care of, Carlisle and I will leave you in Edward's capable hands." Alice said with a smirk.

Edward looked petrified, like he was the one who was injured and in a room full of people he did not know. _No asshole, that would be me._ If anyone should be scared it should be me.

"You're sure Alice?" Edward stammered.

They shared another silent conversation and Alice flitted to the door with a smile.

"Yes Edward, all will be fine. You still have not made a decision, but I know you will do the right thing."

Carlisle followed Alice out of the room with a small smile for me.

"You are in very good hands. Try and keep that shoulder still. Edward has some pain medication if you feel you need it. I hope we will be seeing you soon," he said with a pointed look towards Edward.

"Well, looks like it is just you and me. I am so hungry I could eat a lion, any way you could help me with that?" I said trying to break the ice. If I only knew the irony if that statement.

EPOV

I was still reeling from Alice's subjective visions. There were three possible outcomes that she saw. Two left Isabella alive, and one had her never leaving this room. I was not hopeful that the first two would be possible. Her blood was even more potent with us trapped in this little room. I could hear her racing heart and smell her nervous sweat. It was taking all of my willpower not to move closer to her.

She was sitting on the edge of the couch, and I knew she was waiting for an explanation. I just hoped that she would accept what I told her.

"Isabella, I am not sure there is any way I can explain what has happened over the past few hours, but I am willing to try. It seems you were kidnapped and brought to an auction."

"Yeah, no shit. I figured that out all by myself. The question is why, and who are you guys?" She interrupted.

Well, it looked like she was going to be feisty. I felt terrible telling her that it was just bad luck that Demetri had crossed paths with her. If she had only been 10 minutes later getting to her truck, she would be somewhere else and not facing eminent death at the hands of a blood thirsty vampire. I knew it was best to leave the talk of eminent death out of the conversation for the time being.

"That auction was held for uh, people of means, to find staff for their homes." I replied, hoping that she would just assume I was there to get us a new housekeeper or gardener.

"So you are trying to tell me that it was only a room full of people looking for someone to wash their underwear? Yeah I don't think so. You are going to tell me why some skinny chick could toss me around like a rag doll, how a man could break my wrist without any effort and how come they all had red eyes? And I am not taking no for an answer." She looked up at me from the couch with determination in her eyes. We were not going to get out of this room until she had the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Thanks again to Dalloway5906, my beta extraordinaire, who is fascinated by big shoes and the feet that fill them :)

Chapter 4

BPOV

I was still waiting patiently, looking into his perfect face. In all of my nineteen years I had never seen such a flawless arrangement of features. His full lips were centered perfectly between his strong jaw and his nose, which sported a slight bump along its bridge. His skin was immaculate and was so pale it seemed translucent. His hair was a wonderful mixture of bronze, brown and red, and it stuck up in all directions. As if he knew my attention was directed at that mop, his hands ran through it, making it even more haphazard. Now that I could take the time and really look at his eyes, I could see that they were really more of an amber color, with a black ring around the outside. The beauty was not restricted to his face. His long, lean body was clad in a grey long-sleeved shirt and fitted black slacks, ending in black boots on his rather large feet.

Edward seemed to be having a hard time deciding what he was going to say next, so I tried to make things easier on him.

"Ok, I know that you all are not human, so let's start there."

He looked shocked that I had already come to that conclusion.

"Well how did you figure that out?" He questioned.

"When someone can use just her finger to rip my shirt, bra and jeans off it kind of eliminates that possibility. Add to that the way that douche broke my wrist and the fact that they all had blood red eyes, you kinda have to come to the same deduction." I stated calmly.

I suddenly remembered that I was still wearing the same blue dress from the auction and just pretty much told him I was not wearing a bra. I might be scared shitless, but he was still a gorgeous guy and I was a girl. Thankfully the sling supporting my aching shoulder covered most of my chest, so you could not notice the support-less girls. When I looked back up, I caught him looking at my chest as well. He had the good graces to look embarrassed to have been caught ogling the goods.

"I am not sure what you want to hear. You seem to have come to your own conclusions based on your experiences today. Can we just leave it at that?" He implored.

"No, I want to know what is going on. You all seem to be very nice, taking care of my injuries and making me feel comfortable. But, I am still lost as to why you would pay $250,000 for me. How do you have that kind of money and what is expected of me?"

"My family has done very well with investments in the past, my sister Alice is amazing with the stock market. We have a large amount of funds at our disposal to do with as we please. And it pleased me to be able to save you from the other bidders at that auction."

How could he have known what the other bidders would have done with me? "Wait didn't Carlisle say something about you being a mind reader?"

A look of defeat settled across his face. "Yes, I can read the minds of the people that are around me. With the exception of you, I cannot hear what you are thinking."

"Well that is good, because you would be totally embarrassed by my earlier thoughts!" Shit, what is good about him not being able to hear my thoughts if I am constantly broadcasting them to the world anyway!

He chuckled quietly and shook his head. Ugh, the way his hair bounced when he did that made me want to run my fingers through it. _Stop Bella, remember that you are currently being held against your will by this... whatever he was._ Even though he was extremely hot, I had no idea if I could trust him, if he was safe.

Figuring that he would not mind if I got up off of the couch and stretched my legs, I stood up, catching the heel of my shoe on the throw rug and promptly fell, hitting my head on the end table. Stupid heels, just another reason for me to hate you. I reached up to feel the growing knot on my forehead when a gasping breath caught my attention. I looked up to where Edward was standing to see him backing up in fear. He looked petrified, and I had no idea what the problem was.

I pulled my hand from my head and found that it was covered in blood. Nothing bleeds as badly as head wounds, I have had enough blows to the head to know. I looked back up to where Edward had been standing but he was gone. I noticed that the drapes at the window were flapping, so I figured he opened the window, having some sort of issue with blood. I slowly got up off of the floor, still woozy from my knock on the head and made my way over to reassure him that I was fine. The window was open, but he was not there, the room was empty.

Grabbing a towel off of the floor to try and stop the bleeding, I hunkered down on the couch to wait for someone to come back and give me more answers.

EPOV

As soon as I saw her start to topple over on those high heels I knew what was going to happen. I could have gotten to her, I was fast enough. However, it was with morbid curiosity that I wanted to see which one of Alice's visions would be correct. Was I going to smell the blood and be forced to drain her? Or was I strong enough to withstand the desire? Venom flooded my mouth as I watched her.

She put her hand up to her head and I gasped as I smelled the fresh blood oozing from the wound. I saw her head jerk up to where I was standing, but before she could finish the movement, I was already out the window. I landed softly on the ground below and sprinted into the woods.

It had been so hard not to go to her and make sure she was fine, but the temptation of her blood was too strong. I was hopeful that since I was able to resist her spilled blood, it would be easier to be around her now. I hated feeling so distant and standoffish, but I had not been able to trust myself around her. She was so strong and beautiful, I had never seen anyone take everything in stride as she did. She had no idea that she had been thrust into the middle of a coven of vampires and should fear for her life.

I finally stopped running as I got close to the Canadian border. I had hoped that Alice would have alerted Carlisle to Isabella's accident, and he would have her cleaned up before I returned. A buzzing in my pocket confirmed that yes my dear sister had done just that. Figuring it was safe to return, I started to head back at a much slower pace.

How was I going to deal with this? Was I going to have to tell her the truth, or could I deflect her questions and keep our lifestyle quiet. I had a feeling that she was not going to let this drop until she had the truth. However, there was no way I could share my family's secret with a virtual stranger. I hope she enjoyed disappointment.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Dalloway5906. I can always tell when it is going to be a good chapter when I see her perverted comments on the edit! The updates should be coming Sundays and Wednesdays.

Chapter 5

BPOV

I took the vile shoes off with one hand as I held the towel to my head with the other. I had finally gotten the blood to stop and was still sitting on the couch when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called.

"Hello Isabella, I was hoping I could take a look at the nasty bump you have there." Carlisle said as he came in the room with his black medical bag. I was going to have to stash these visions of him away for future reference. Never know when a girl needs some Dr. Sexy for a rainy day.

"I am a little accident prone. I have no idea how I survived to nineteen." I said quietly. "Do you know where Edward went? Did he send you to come help me?"

"I think Edward went out to get some air. Just hold still and I will have you stitched up in a minute."

I figured I would use this alone time to try and interrogate the good doctor.

"So Edward was telling me all about your lifestyle. How is it working for you?" Smooth Bella, he is just going to come out and tell you their big dark secret.

Carlisle snickered under his breath, "Well Isabella, it is working out just fine for me. What all did Edward tell you? Maybe I can answer some of your questions."

"Well, he did not really tell me much. I was hoping you could tell me why he has such a hard time around me. Is it all women that make him act like a pompous ass, or is it just me?"

This time the laugh from Carlisle was much louder. "No, I am pretty sure you are affecting him a little differently than most women. He is usually a very open and friendly person. I think he is dealing with an attraction that is totally new to him. It just might take him a little longer to warm up to you."

Attraction huh, that sounds promising. _Edward might not be as sexy as the good doctor here, but I would not kick him out of my bed. _These thoughts, while entertaining, were not getting me any closer to answering my questions. I tried to see if the direct approach would work.

"Carlisle, I know you all are not human and I think you might have some issue with blood. So please just tell me what is going on. I have an open mind and I promise nothing you will say will shock me." Yeah, I was acting way more confident then I really was. But what was the worst he could say?

"Ok Isabella, I will be perfectly honest with you. You were right to think that we have a problem with blood. The reason Edward fled from the room so quickly is that... we are vampires."

And cue the fainting.

_More darkness, what was this the third time I had fainted today._ That has to be a record even for me. I could head Edward's frustrated voice as I worked my way back towards consciousness.

"Why would you tell her? I was trying to make her comfortable before I dropped that bomb on her. Did you at least let her know we only feed on animals or did she blackout before you could?"

"No Edward, she passed out before I could tell her about our alternate lifestyle. She assured me that she would take everything with an open mind." Carlisle sighed. I really felt bad for him, I did tell him that.

"Boys, she can hear you," Alice chirped. I was really starting to wonder how she knew these things. I was hoping I could play dead a little longer and get some more information on the sly.

"Isabella, are you all right. Will you wake up and talk to us?" Edward asked. Gone was his usual tone of disinterest, maybe my constant dramatics were wearing him down.

I slowly opened my eyes to the same scene I had experienced only hours earlier. Three sets of gold eyes looked down at me, and I was trying not to feel like an hors d'oeuvre. I tried to sit up, and Edward was instantly there to help me. I tried not to, but flinched away from his hands. I immediately felt bad when I looked up into his pain stricken face. I knew he had wanted to tell me about what they were in his own time, and Carlisle had jumped the gun.

"It's ok Edward," I tried to reassure him. "I think I just need some more time to adjust."

His distress seemed to ease, and I was grateful when they all backed up to give me some breathing room. I needed some answers pronto.

"So, you only feed on animals, I heard that correctly?"

Alice decided to take that one. "Yes, we call ourselves vegetarians, our little joke."

Yeah, really funny. "There are others out there, like you, that are not vegetarians?"

"Yes, unfortunately most of our kind do not follow the same practice that we do," this time from Carlisle.

"So do you eat or drink anything, like normal humans?"

Edward decided to answer that question. "No Isabella, the only thing we feed on is blood."

I started back in on the questions before I lost my nerve. " Is that why those assholes at the auction were so strong?"

Three heads nodded. "And why all their eyes were red. When a vampire feeds on human blood, their eyes are red. As much as we can figure, ours are golden because of the diluted nature of animal blood," explained Carlisle.

Ok, major overload. I know there are more questions that I should have been asking, but my brain was still trying to comprehend what I had just listened to.

"Alright guys, I think I need some time to digest this information. Is there anyway I can get some fresh air?"

"Sure, I'll take you down and show you the garden." Alice smiled. I was still having a hard time picturing this little pixie take down an animal. Maybe she went after bunnies or something cute and little.

I could see that Edward was hesitant to let me out of his sight. "Don't worry Edward, I am not going to go anywhere. I don't even have any idea where we are. Besides, there are a couple of other fairy tales I want to discuss."

That seemed to appease him, and Alice led me out the door and down some stairs. We walked through a spacious living room and a kitchen I would die for. I wanted to stop and see what kind of woodland creature they kept in the fridge, but Alice pulled me out the back door and onto a large stone patio. We walked over to a hammock hanging between two large trees. Alice sat down first, without even making the hammock move. I decided to stand, knowing my coordination would not allow me to sit down without falling on my ass. There had already been enough bloodshed today.

"Alice, do you mind if I just walk around on my own for a few minutes? I promise I won't go far." I asked.

Alice's eyes glazed over for a second, "Sure Isabella, everything looks fine. Just stay on the path."

With a wave of thanks, I headed off the patio and towards the woods. _Stay on the path, what is this The Wizard of Oz? _I made my way down the path, trying to process how these nice, kind people could actually be blood sucking monsters? A flash of movement to my left caught my attention, and I turned towards it. I was suddenly forced to the ground from behind, unable to break my fall with my broken wrist. There was someone snarling into my ear as they rested their weight on my back. Did someone mistake me for a deer, what was going on? I thought they said they only partook of animals.

I tried to control my breathing, and ignore the throbbing pain in my wrist and shoulder. I needed to explain who I was and what I was doing here. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, I felt the weight being pulled off my back and more snarling from beside me. I looked over to see Edward in an aggressive stance, looking menacingly at whoever was behind me.

"Jasper, what are you doing?" Edward snapped at whoever was still making wild dog noises.

I was still petrified to move, so I just continued to lie on my belly, cradling my cast covered wrist to my chest. _Maybe someday someone will realize that I am lying here._

"Sorry Edward, the wind changed and blew her sent to where he was hunting. There was no way I could have seen this in time." Alice piped in. _What did she mean, how could she have seen what? And how did she get here so fast?_

The growling from behind me quieted and I could hear Alice making cooing noises. Edward stood from his crouch and finally looked down at me. He moved to my side in an instant, so fast I did not even see him move.

"Are you all right?" He questioned. He looked so worried.

"Yeah, I am fine. Don't think I broke anything else. What is going on?"

Edward looked over my shoulder and motioned for me to do the same.

"This is my brother Jasper. Alice is his wife."

_Screw The Wizard of Oz, I must be in Wonderland!_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not Mine

Chapter 6

BPOV

So Edward's brother, Jasper tried to attack me. His wife, Alice must be able to see the future or something because she was always showing up right when something happened. And dear old Edward could hear people's thoughts. Yeah, nothing strange around here.

Edward was still crouching next to me while I lay on the ground. As if suddenly comprehending how rude it was, he grasped my good arm to try and help me up. I realized that this was the first time he had touched me. I could feel his cold fingers on my upper arm, and was surprised how gentle he was. I had experienced first hand how much strength his kind possessed, I had no idea how he could curtail his power as to not crush the fragile bones under my skin. Unaware that I had been staring at his fingers, Edward cleared his throat to get my attention. Flushing crimson, I looked up into his face to try and apologize, but the words got stuck in my throat. Never before had I seen such a look of longing and desire. Was he having a hard time resisting the scent of my blood as well? Was that what he was yearning for? I was hoping there might be another reason.

Relieved again that he could not hear my thoughts, I quickly got to my feet. My poor cast had dirt and grass wedged under it, and my dress was filthy and rumpled. I was definitely going to need a change of clothes if they were planning to keep me here for any length of time. Those pain pills Carlisle had spoken of might be a good idea as well. I knew it was time to discuss exactly what their long term plans for me were.

Alice and Jasper were still standing huddled together. Jasper at least had the good graces to look embarrassed by his little outburst. I stepped towards them with my right hand extended.

"Well Jasper, my friends call me Bella, and since you nearly killed me, I guess we could be considered friends."

Alice started her excited vibrating again as Jasper stepped forward to grasp my outstretched hand. I was sure that Edward and Alice would protect me if Jasper could not keep his bloodlust under control.

"Pleasure to meet ya darlin'. Sorry for that little scene. The wind changed and blew your delectable scent my way. Promise it shall not happen again." Jasper drawled in a swoon-worthy Southern accent. Phew, good thing he was taken, cause the way he spoke could have had my panties on the ground in a second! "Are ya feeling ok?"

"Well I would not turn down some narcotics and something to eat. Possibly a change of clothes as well. This dress has seen better days!" I laughed, trying for nonchalance.

"Oh Bella, where are my manners. Let's get you inside and see if we can snag something from Esme's closet for you." Alice said, taking charge like a pint sized dictator. _Who the hell was Esme? _"Jasper, will you run into town and get something for Bella to eat?"

"No problem sweets. What can I get for you sugar? Anything you have a hankering for?" Jasper questioned. I think I could get used to this kind of treatment.

"No Jasper, no hankering for anything specific." I giggled. "Just grab me anything that looks good."

They looked at me like I had three heads. I replayed my response in my head, wondering what I said wrong. Then it hit me. If he got something that looked good to him, I would most likely end up eating a panther or something. _Stupid Bella!_

"Oh, right sorry. Guess you need specifics. Maybe I could make you a list." I was having a terrible time forming a coherent thought today. Must be all the excitement.

Edward had been distracted through the entire conversation, so Alice took charge and led the way back to the house. She disappeared after she got me settled in the kitchen with a pen and paper. I gave my list to Jasper with a grateful smile. I was the kind of girl who was adamant about paying my own way, but my purse had mysteriously gone missing after I had been abducted.

As if he could sense my reluctance, Jasper just snickered. "Don't worry Bella, we have plenty of cash lying around. I'll be right back with this stuff."

Alice rushed back into the room, her arms overflowing with clothes and a small medication bottle in her hand. "Here Bella, take these pills and then let's get you changed. There should be something here that will fit."

Edward was quick to open a cabinet and find a glass, filling it with water and bringing it over to me. His casual approach was killing me. Although Dr. Sexy and the southern stud were both outrageously attractive, there was something about Edward's brooding attitude that was intriguing. I was still wondering why he had been at the auction to begin with, let alone dropped a quarter of a million to win me.

Alice noticed my lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of trying on all of those clothes, but she must not have cared about what I wanted. She grabbed my hand and all but dragged me out of the room. I waved bye to Edward, hoping that the little sprite would not keep me hostage for long.

We went back up the stairs, and this time went through a door farther down the hall. "This is mine and Jasper's room. You were in Edward's room earlier. Esme and Carlisle have their room on the third floor and the fourth floor is Rosalie and Emmett's. You will meet everyone else soon. They are all out hunting."

_Hunting huh? Something tells me that they don't use the usual weapons when they do that. That must be interesting to watch_. With their brute strength, I could imagine they had no problems taking down an animal three or four times their size. I was not listening to what Alice was saying at all as I imagined Edward taking down a bear. He was so graceful doing mundane things, like walking down stairs. I am sure in full battle mode, he was breathtaking.

"Bella, what do you think of this?" Alice asked, shoving a brown sweater in my face.

"Sure Alice, whatever. I don't care what I wear at this point as long as it is not covered with dirt and leaves." I said, brushing at the bits of grass that were still stuck under my cast. It was already starting to itch and I was going to have to find a coat hanger to stick down there soon.

Alice had found a pair of jeans that were not too long and decided on the brown sweater for me to wear. Thankfully someone in the house wore the same size bra as I did, so the girls were now decked out in some extravagant lace concoction with matching panties. I had no idea what the label said, it was all in French.

"Alice, are you sure no one is going to be upset that I am borrowing their clothes?"

"Oh Bella, for the most part we wear something once, and then give it to Good Will. Just relax, you look great!"

I did look great if I do say so myself. I had to admit Alice had great taste, even if the bra was super itchy and the jeans were way tighter than I usually wore. Alice grabbed a brush and turned me to face the mirror while she worked on getting the twigs out of my hair. I looked at my reflection, wondering what Edward's favorite color was. _Ok girl settle down. With a face like that he has to have a little vamp chicky around here somewhere._

Alice interrupted my pity party. "Jasper should be back any second. Let's get you downstairs so you can get something to eat. Your stomach is growling so loudly I can barely hear myself think!"

_Well shit Alice, sorry about that_. I was blushing something awful, even though I knew she was kidding. We walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen just as Jasper came bounding through the back door. He was carrying no less than 15 bags of groceries.

"Sorry Bella, I think I might have gone a little overboard. Did you know they have like 30 different types of pop? It is amazing and yet still disgusting." Jasper muttered. I guess I would feel the same way if the store had been stocked with live animals instead.

I moved to the counter to start routing through the bags, one handed. I had been cooking for myself and whatever parental unit I was living with at the time since I was 10, so I fancied myself as somewhat of a foodie. Jasper had outdone himself with his choices. I picked up a nice firm eggplant and grabbed everything I would need for eggplant parmigiana.

I must have looked lost, because Edward came over and opened a cupboard full of high end kitchen tools. I had no idea why they would have a need for a food processor or a blender, but I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I got out a cutting board, stock pot, skillet and baking pan. There was a knife block next to the stove, so I made my way over to get one so I could slice the eggplant. Edward was next to me instantly and took the cutting implement out of my hand.

"I would prefer if I handled the sharp objects from now on." He said with a frown. All I could think about was how his eyebrows came together when he frowned, making little creases in the middle. He could do whatever he wanted as long as I could use my tongue to smooth out those creases. _Whoa kinky Momma, settle down!_

I shrugged and went to the sink to wash the eggplant and tomatoes. It was going to be easier to have Edward slice and dice. One handed cooking is tough! I stacked the eggplant, tomatoes and onion for the sauce and the....

"Wait, everyone get out!" I screamed.

They were all next to me before I could take another breath.

"No, you don't understand. I have garlic here, it could kill you!" I yelled.

They all three doubled over in hysterics. I was still at a loss as to what was so funny. I was just trying to look out for them.

Alice was the first to recover. "Thanks for being cautious Bella, but that is just a myth. Besides, if we did have a problem with it, Jasper would never have been able to buy it"

My cheeks were blazing and I tucked my chin to my chest, trying to hide my embarrassment. Edward came over to me and placed one long, elegant finger under my chin, tipping my face to him. He looked so angelic, smiling down at me.

"Thank you so much for trying to save us Bella." My heart was racing at the way he said my name. He smirked and I wondered if he was lying when he said he could not hear my thoughts.

"I guess we should have explained the differences between "Hollywood vampires" and ourselves," he continued.

He resumed cutting the eggplant, onion, tomatoes and the dreaded garlic, and explained that 'no they did not sleep in coffins.' Garlic and crosses were no problem. They could see their reflection in a mirror and have their pictures taken. Their hearts did not beat, and their body temperature was much lower then a humans. And the whole burning in the sun thing, yeah it was false. Edward said they avoided sunlight, which is why they were living in the Pacific Northwest, but he would not tell me why.

I was having a hard time getting stuff done so I ditched the sling. The pain was not too bad after taking the pain medication. I started sweating the onions and garlic and added the tomatoes to get the sauce going. The three vampires just lounged around watching me work. I wondered if this was the first meal that had been cooked in this kitchen. I felt bad for popping its cherry, but a girl has to eat.

I breaded the eggplant and started it frying in the skillet. I was so hungry, but it was almost done. Alice had not stopped talking about what they were doing here in the Seattle area and where else they had lived. Edward and Jasper were just watching me flit around the kitchen, stirring the sauce and flipping over the frying eggplant slices. Edward was sliding it into the oven when Alice finally stopped talking to take a breath.

"What is that amazing smell?" A roaring voice sounded from somewhere in the house.

"It's eggplant parmigiana," I shouted back.

I heard the sarcastic, sugary-sweet voice before I saw the blonde amazon it belonged to. "No dearie, I think he was talking about you, not the horrible smell from your cooking."

_Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about that. _


	7. Chapter 6 EPOV

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: I am not planning on having an EPOV for each BPOV, but I really wanted to see what was going on in Edward's head during chapter 6. Chapter 7 will be up on Wednesday.

Chapter 6

EPOV

How long is it going to take for Jasper to get his bloodlust under control? I understand it is harder for him since he is the newest to the vegetarian lifestyle, but could he try to not kill this girl. She is dealing with enough drama already.

I was still crouched down next to Isabella, listening to Jasper apologize over and over in his head. I realized with disgust she was still laying in the dirt and was quick to try and help her up. Her skin was so warm and smooth, the give of muscle and bone underneath my hand signaling how fragile she was.

She was staring at the placement of my fingers around her arm, and I could only imagine what she was thinking. Was it disgust? Was she afraid of me after seeing first hand how barbaric we were? I cleared my throat to try and get her attention, hoping to see anything but revulsion on her face. I was already so attached to her, I don't think I could stand it if she saw me as a monster. I had never wished I was human more than when she looked up into my face. I yearned to be able to give her normal things. Not to constantly have to worry that she would be a victim of my family's bloodlust.

She was quick to get to her feet, and I reluctantly let go of her arm, closing my hand into a fist to try and hold onto the warmth of her skin. Jasper was still repeating apologies, and I was wondered how I was possibly going to resolve this situation when Isabella moved towards Jasper.

"Well Jasper, my friends call me Bella, and since you nearly killed me, I guess we could be considered friends."

Bella, that suits her.

_Well, she sure is a brave little filly, ain't she? _Jasper thought.

_Oh Edward, she could be so good for you. _Came from Alice.

But I was busy watching the visions flashing through Alice's head.

Bella and I running through the forest, her eyes golden.

Bella growing older as I watched, never changing.

Me, standing alone over a grave.

_You keep changing your mind. Nothing is set in stone. _Alice again.

I realized I had missed an entire conversation as Alice led us back into the house. She gave Bella a pen and paper and disappeared upstairs, thinking about the perfect outfit for Bella.

Bella was scribbling down a list on the paper and handed it to Jasper. She hesitated and I could hear Jasper thinking she was embarrassed that she had no money to pay for the food. Damn empath, he already knew more about her than I did.

Jasper took off to go to the store as Alice came breezing back in, arms overloaded with clothes. She handed a bottle of pills to Bella and I was quick to get her a glass of water, happy that I could at least take care of her this way. Alice whisked her from the room, Bella giving me a little wave as she followed.

I tried not to, but found myself latching onto any thoughts coming out of the bedroom on the second floor. Alice was only letting certain thought and images through, in between she was reciting the _Declaration of Independence_.

I could see Bella brushing away the dirt that was stuck to her cast.

Bella holding a brown sweater.

Bella holding a frothy, lace covered bra....

_No, no Edward. That's all you get_.

I groaned as Alice started back into the Declaration, this time in French.

I could hear Alice and Bella start back down the stairs and Jasper come up the driveway. Bella was ecstatic to see the items Jasper had purchased at the store. She was clutching an eggplant in her hand and looking around the spotless kitchen. I opened a large cabinet and she looked surprised to see a huge assortment of kitchen tools. Even though we did not eat human food, we had every imaginable gadget here to keep up appearances.

She selected several items, using her good hand to place them on the counter. When it was apparent she was heading over to the knife block, I intervened. I could not comprehend the consequences if she were to cut herself. Her blood was so intoxicating to me through the thin barrier of her skin, my response would be uncontrollable if it were freed.

She shrugged her delicate shoulder and moved to the sink to wash the produce. Bringing the items back to me, she stacked them next to the cutting board.

"Wait, everyone get out!" She screamed.

Alice, Jasper and I all rushed to her side, unable to figure out what the problem was.

"No, you don't understand. I have garlic here, it could kill you!" She yelled.

Understanding dawned on us simultaneously and we were all laughing, harder than I have in a long time.

_Oh Edward, she is precious. _Alice thought.

I could not agree more.

Alice tried to explain that there was no danger. The blood had rushed to Bella's cheeks, coloring them a delicious pink. I was unable to control myself as I walked towards her. I gently used my finger to tilt her face up. I could hear her heart race, and could only hope it was in excitement and not fear at my close proximity. Hoping for the first option, I let a smile spread across my face.

"Thank you so much for trying to save us Bella." I said.

I resumed cutting the ingredients, while Bella assembled her dish. Alice and Jasper took time to tell her about our lifestyle and how it differed from the vampires in _Dracula. _She took all of the information in stride, without any signs of the fear she should have been feeling. We were blood sucking monsters, had she no sense of self-preservation?

I was absorbed watching her glide around the kitchen, stirring this and flipping that. She was so uncoordinated most of the time, but here she was in her element. I did not even notice the arrival of Emmett and Rosalie until I heard his annoyingly loud voice.

"What is that amazing smell?" He shouted.

"It's eggplant parmigiana," Bella yelled back.

_Oh man, this is gonna be great! _Emmett thought.

While I was irate with Rose's rudeness, I was beginning to enjoy watching the blood flood Bella's cheeks. Precious indeed.

A/N: Don't you want to push that review button? Come on...


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: Thanks again to Dalloway5906, who keeps my prose legible. More at the bottom!

Chapter 7

BPOV

Ms. Leggy Blonde came sauntering into the room, with a giant of a man following her like a puppy dog. While she was looking at me with disdain, he had a huge grin spread across his face. He had dimples I could swim in and cute squinty eyes. Top that all off with a curly mop of brown hair, and I would have been willing to let him have me for dinner.

Blondie must have taken offense to my gaping at her man because she stepped forward and blocked my view of her beefcake . "I am Rosalie and this is my _husband_, Emmett."

"Bella," I squeaked out. Even without the freaky vampire strength I would have been afraid of her.

"Now Rose, be nice. You know Emmett always attracts attention." Alice said. She came over to me and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, she is not always such a bitch."

Rosalie hissed, making me wonder if super hearing was also one of their special traits.

Emmett walked over to me and gave me a tight bear hug, being cautious of my cast encased hand, lifting my feet off the ground.

"Welcome to the family Bella!" He bellowed, turning his head towards Edward, he said something too softly for me to hear.

Jasper chuckled from his perch on the counter as a low growl came from deep in Edward's chest. He was glancing between me and Emmett, as if accusing us of something. Hey, all I did was think about offering myself up to this hunk. Emmett had finally put me down and returned to stand behind the platinum spitfire. _What's the deal Edward, it is not as if you are showing me any attention?_

Alice stepped between the drama. "Bella, I think it might be time to explain about mine and Jasper's gifts." _Oh God, what now?_

"I am not sure if you figured it out yet, but I can see the future. The visions are subjective though. If you change your mind, the future changes as well. That is why I could not see Jasper attacking you until it was too late, it was a split second decision."

"Jasper is an empath, he can sense the emotions of the other people around him. He can also make you feel certain emotions. Sometimes if the feelings are strong enough, he can't control them and they spread to the people around him." She explained.

"And remember, Edward can not only hear, but see the thoughts of others. So Jasper was thinking about your emotional reaction to Emmett, and Edward could see that and whatever Emmett was thinking as well."

_Well shit, talk about getting your hand caught in the cookie jar. Nice of them to tell me about this now. _

I had just turned to Edward to apologize when Carlisle came into the kitchen with another gorgeous woman. She was taller then I was and had beautiful walnut shaded hair and eyes the color of saffron. She came over to me, breaking the tension and enveloped me into a tender hug.

"I'm Esme, the unfortunate mother to these hooligans. I hope they have not been harassing you too much. They can never resist a new toy."

She must have realized what she said, because her perfect face was horrified as she pulled back from the embrace. I could only laugh. That was exactly what I felt like, a new toy, and no one had the instruction manual. I tried to tell her not to worry, but I was interrupted by the doorbell.

Every head in the room shot towards Alice. She looked dumfounded. "I have no idea who it is. I can't see anything."

Edward moved swiftly from the room, heading towards the front door. We all followed, with Emmett and Jasper keeping me safely between them. Edward opened the door to find a well dressed man holding a large envelope. On closer inspection, I noticed his ruby colored eyes, and realized he was not a man, but a vampire.

"Edward Cullen?" He asked, keeping his eyes pasted on Edward.

"Yes, that's me. What can I help you with?" Edward replied.

"Aro sent me to give you this. You left in such a hurry after the auction last night, he did not have a chance to give it to you." As he handed Edward the envelope, his eyes strayed to mine. I could almost feel the violence rolling off of him. Jasper was cringing next to me and I realized that I was not imagining the emotion. Jasper was unable to handle the extreme rage, and was broadcasting it to the room.

"I'm Felix by the way," he said, extending his hand to Edward.

Edward gave him a slight nod, ignoring his outstretched hand. Felix looked unaffected as he brought his hand back to his side.

"Well, I hope to see you again," he said with a wink in my direction. I cowered back behind Emmett.

"I wouldn't count on it," Edward said, slamming the door in his face.

He turned the envelope over in his hands as he walked into the living room. I abandoned my hiding spot behind Emmett and walked over to Edward.

"What's going on? Why couldn't Alice see him? Why did he hate me so much? What is in the envelope?" I fired off. I was drowning in information but still felt completely lost.

Edward dropped the envelope on the coffee table and turned to me, grasping my upper arms in his big hands. "I'm not sure why Alice could not see him Bella. His thoughts were hard for me to read until he looked at you, then they..." he stopped talking and just look down at me. His grip on my arms was starting to hurt, but I could not be bothered to care. His expression was tortured and I could only imagine the thoughts he had seen in Felix's mind.

Carlisle came over and put his hands atop Edward's on my arms. "Let her go now son, she is fine."

Edward dropped his hands as if they were on fire, realizing how tight his grip had been. I was still frozen, unable to tear my gaze from his face. I could appreciate that Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle were all gorgeous, but that is where it ended . With Edward, the more time I spent around him, the more I felt like I _needed_ to be near him. It was almost as if there was a magnetic force pulling us together.

"Edward, you really need to open the envelope." Alice said.

He turned his body towards the table to retrieve the envelope without breaking eye contact. He finally looked down at the object in his hand. He tore the flap open and brought out the papers that were folded inside. There were at least 10 pages, and he flipped through them in seconds, reading everything. He looked devastated as he handed the papers over to Carlisle.

"What did it say? What is going on?" I demanded, grabbing onto his shirt front as well as I could with my left hand in the cast. He just continued to stare at Carlisle, refusing to meet my eyes.

Carlisle finally pulled his eyes from the papers in his hand. "It is a contract. Apparently when Edward had the winning bid for Bella, he entered into an agreement with The Volturi. According to this document, Edward will be required to return her to Volterra in one month if she is still alive. The auction was only for vampires looking for a... long-term blood donor. "

My knees finally gave out and because I still had Edward's shirt clenched in my hands, he came down with me.

"No, please. You can't send me back. I would rather you kill me than do that." I sobbed into his chest. Gone was my confident attitude, I was petrified .

Edward gently wrapped his hands around my throat, using his thumbs to tip my face up. I could see my future there in his eyes. He would never let me go back, yet he could never kill me. He would fight for my safety without a second thought. And I realized I would rather die than be apart from him ever again.

Although it would be nice if we could avoid the whole _death_ thing.

A/N: So as a bribe for your reviews: If you review, you will get an EPOV from part of that chapter. And coming in the next few chapters you are going to want to see what Edward is thinking! :)


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: Thanks to my beat Dalloway5906, who makes me laugh with her comments. Hope you enjoy some yummy Edward in this one. More at the bottom.

Chapter 8

Carlisle coughed, interrupting our moment.

"Well, I can see we will need to come up with a plan on how to keep Bella safe. It is obvious the two outcomes the Volturi are suggesting are not ideal."

Edward turned to him with a smirk, "You think?"

I could get used to sarcastic Edward. Although I was enjoying the hell out of tender Edward at the moment. We were still kneeling, his hands wrapped around my throat. I was hesitant to separate, worrying this new connection would sever. Edward must have sensed my indecision and was quick to reassure me.

"Don't worry, we will have time to figure all this out. I have waited more than a century for you, I am not going to let you get away now."

_Aw, tear, someone get me a tissue. _

He stood and helped me to my feet. It was awkward that his entire family just witnessed our little love-fest. Although I guess with a mind reader, empath and a psychic around there was not much privacy. Edward turned me in his arms so my spine was nestled against his chest, facing his family.

"Alice, what did you see when you sent me to the auction? Was this the outcome you expected?" _Uh oh, Edward was a little pissed_.

"The only thing I could see was you winning Bella. Everything that has happened since then has been a surprise to me. I have no idea how they are getting past me." She admitted. You could tell she was frustrated that she could not trust her visions.

"Wait, what am I gonna do about my Dad? Charlie was expecting me home last night. He is going to call out the cavalry when they find my truck still at school" I asked. There was no way Charlie would accept my disappearance. He had so many connections being Chief of Police, he would use them all to try and find me.

"Maybe you can call him and say you met someone and decided to travel through Europe for the summer instead of coming home? Having you stay here is the best way for us to keep you safe." Edward suggested.

"Yeah, like that would work. He knows I don't even have a passport, let alone that kind of money. I was going to have to work all summer just to be able to afford the tuition for next semester. Not to mention the fact that I am not the type to just blow off my Dad." I explained.

"Well, would he believe you got knocked up and decided to shack up with the baby daddy?" Emmett suggested, earning him a smack on the head from Rosalie. _That would have to be one immaculate conception!_

"Why don't I call him?" Carlisle offered. "I could tell him you fell and broke your wrist while leaving your class and I treated you in the ER. That would be plausible, I was working yesterday."

"But why would I be staying here with you guys, I didn't even know any of you until yesterday?" I asked.

"Alice is taking classes at the Seattle Art and Design School. We could say you are friends and were together when you fell and she took you to the hospital." Jasper prompted. "That would explain why your truck is still at the school. You could just tell him you are staying with us until your wrist feels better."

I thought that over. It might just work. I was obviously clumsy enough to have fallen, Charlie would believe that. Lord knows that aside from my awesome skills in the kitchen, he was not going to miss me. And who was going to doubt Dr. Sexy?

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it." I said. That was at least one problem taken care of.

Carlisle and Alice left the room to call Charlie. I had no doubt that if Charlie had any reservations, talking to Alice would reassure him. He would never have to know I had been kidnapped, sold at an auction and was currently living with a family of vampires.

A piercing squeal sounded through the house and all five vampires in the room dropped to a defensive crouch.

"Shit!" I screamed, running past them and into the kitchen. In all of the drama I had totally forgotten about my dinner.

Edward beat me to the oven and opened the door, letting a cloud of smoke fill the room. He tossed the ruined meal into the sink and doused it with water. Someone must have taken the batteries out of the smoke alarm, for it finally stopped.

"Shit, shit, shit." I pouted. I may or may not have done some foot stomping along with my rant. "Just when you think things can't get any worse."

Edward snickered at my outburst. Sure there were much worse things going on right now, but I was really looking forward to eating my eggplant parmigiana.

"You are really adorable when you pout," he said, coming over to flick his finger at my lower lip. He was really good at this flirting thing. But I guess if you have a hundred years to practice, you should be good.

I turned away from him to search the bags again, looking for something quick to eat. I assembled a sandwich and leaned against the counter to eat. Edward was staring at me, making me wonder if I had something stuck in my teeth.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. "What, have you never seen a human eat before?"

"No, I have watched hundreds of humans eat. It has just never looked so ...seductive before." He admitted, drawing the corner of his mouth up into a half smile.

_Panties, let me introduce you to the floor._

I shoved the last of the sandwich into my mouth and tried to make myself look sexy. It backfired when I inhaled a piece of bread and started choking. Edward came over and patted me on the back, causing me to spit the chunk across the kitchen, landing with a splat on the far wall. I dropped my head to my good hand and prayed for the ground to just swallow me up.

Edward laughed and pulled my hand away, trying to get me to look at him.

"Just go away. I am so tired of embarrassing myself around you." I exclaimed, still avoiding his eyes.

"Your blush is beautiful."He said, his voice rough with an unknown emotion.

I looked up to find the black rings around his eyes almost eclipsing the amber iris. I was captivated by his stare, wondering what caused this change.

He leaned down, still holding my hand in his. I could feel his cool breath against my temple as he got closer.

"I just want to try one thing," he breathed.

_Oh you can do anything you want!_

He brought his lips closer to mine, brushing them down my cheek as he went. His lips were smooth, slightly warmer now from having contact with my overheated skin. I stopped breathing, waiting for him to claim my lips. I was nearly vibrating with desire as he finally brought his lips to mine with a gentle sweep of skin against skin.

"What's up guy? You wanna play some Halo?" Emmett asked, waltzing into the room, oblivious to what he had interrupted.

_Stupid cockblocking Emmett!_

Edward leaned his forehead against mine, our breathing labored.

_He better be planning on doing that again!_

A/N: Remember reviews get you an EPOV from this chapter. Thanks!_  
_


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Many thanks to Dalloway5906, who LOVED this chapter. Hope you all enjoy it as much as she did! More at the bottom!

Chapter 9

Emmett was still waiting for an answer. As if playing Halo could be better than cuddling with this beautiful creature.

Thankfully we were saved from having to make a decision when Carlisle and Alice returned from calling Charlie. Esme, Jasper and Rosalie all followed, eager to hear how the conversation went. I pulled away from Edward's embrace, shooting him a shy smile. I was still reeling, wondering how I was so lucky to have snagged this heart-breaker.

"How did it go?" I questioned.

"It went great." Alice responded. "Charlie only laughed when Carlisle explained about your broken wrist. He said that you had a huge collection of casts in your closet. Gross, by the way." She cringed. "He wanted you to let him know how you were doing. He was going to have your truck towed back to his house."

I sighed in relief, grateful that at least one thing could be so easily resolved. Trying to figure out how to circumvent the contract from Volterra, now that was not going to be as painless.

I looked over to see Edward and Carlisle having some sort of silent conversation. Edward would shake his head yes or no to whatever Carlisle was thinking. It was really frustrating.

"Hey," I said, hitting Edward's chest with my cast, "That is really rude."

He looked apologetic, but again shook his head minutely towards Carlisle.

"I am a big girl. I understand that this shit is going to get heavy, and we will have to find some way to get around these demands. But, if you don't trust me enough to talk about it with me, then how can I trust you to keep me safe?" I implored. _There may or may not have been some pouting._

" I am sorry Bella." Carlisle said. "We are used to communicating in the quickest way possible. We forget about how it can exclude others around us. I promise in the future we will attempt to be more verbal."

That would have eased my mind, except Edward was slowly shaking his head again, looking at Alice this time.

"Stop," I yelled, roughly grabbing his face with my hands, which would have been fine except I forgot about the cast. It ended up slamming him in the jaw, and causing pain to shoot up my arm.

"Shit," I yelled, holding my poor broken arm against my chest.

Edward put his hands around my waist to set me on the counter. I only had a second to appreciate how his hands felt wrapped around my waist and the ease with which he lifted me. _Oh hormones please calm down._

Carlisle came over to see if I had caused any further damage to my wrist with the face bashing. He decided it was fine and walked out of the room, pulling Esme along with him. He was mumbling something about children and gray hair.

Alice took pity on me and started to tell us what she had been thinking.

"Carlisle has done some research about the Volturi. It seems that they have a huge collection of vampires with gifts like ours. They must have someone who can disrupt my visions. That is the only explanation I have."

"So if we can't rely on Alice, can we count on you Edward?" Emmett asked, picking up the burnt dish from the sink and tossing it out the door and into the woods.

I must have made a face, because he looked over at me.

"Sorry kid, that shit smelled awful." He said.

Ignoring Emmett's dramatics, Edward continued.

"As with Alice, I found Felix's thoughts to be …. fuzzy. They were much clearer when he looked at Bella. I think that when there is some emotion involved, whatever is protecting them is disrupted." He had moved to my side as he said this, rubbing his pinky finger along the outer seam of my jeans. I knew hearing Felix's thoughts had really upset him. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked his possessive behavior.

"So, why don't we just go to this Volterra place and get them all angry. Then short stuff over there can see what is going to happen." Emmett suggested.

"Yeah Emmett, that sounds great. So when my visions reappear and show us all getting slaughtered, what will we do then?" Alice snapped.

"I think that we need to try and get Edward close to them." I suggested. "You never know, maybe he will hear something that can help us. We have at least a month before we have to do anything…. drastic."

They all turned and looked at me. I did not have to be a mind reader to know what they were all thinking. They must have thought that I would just go with the flow, and let them decide how to proceed. That would have been smart being that I had only 19 years of experience, while they had been "alive" for a combined 575 years. The only person who was not looking so thrilled was Edward.

"Who will take care of you if I leave?" He whispered in my ear, his moist breath curling around the shell of my ear.

"Edward, look around. There are 6 other super powered vampires here. I think even I can't get into too much trouble." I said.

He still looked hesitant, and I knew it was not doing much for his ego to have me dismiss him so easily. But I knew if we were going to figure out a way to keep me from having to go back to Volterra we needed to use every advantage we had.

"We don't have to do anything now. We have lots of time before the deadline." Alice said. "Why don't I show Bella to the guest room? She can get cleaned up and I will snag her some more clothes."

I hopped off the counter, narrowly avoiding landing on Edward's toes. I grabbed one of the plastic grocery bags off the counter and started to follow Alice.

"Hey Bella, what is the bag for?" Emmett asked.

_Ugh, Emmett you are quickly becoming my least favorite person._

"If I am gonna take a shower, I have to have something to cover my cast with." I said, raising it up as a reminder. "Can't get this thing wet or else it will get all soft and gross."

Emmett started laughing and Edward put a hand over his face, no doubt embarrassed about what Emmett was thinking about.

I was thinking how happy I was that I was not a mind reader when Emmett's boisterous voice interrupted. "Hey Bella, not everything gets soft and gross when it gets wet."

_Ah, wet naked Edward. Now that is a nice visual to take into the shower!_

Alice and Rosalie took me up into a spare bedroom down the hall from Edward's. It had a spa style bathroom, and I was looking forward to taking a nice hot shower. I was surprised to see a queen sized bed in the middle of the room. With no one in the house being able to sleep, I figured there would be no beds. I was not going to question it, I was happy I did not have to sleep on a couch.

"I'll head into Esme's closet and see what else I can get you to wear. Since we don't sleep, I can't offer you any pyjamas, but I am sure I can find something for you to wear to bed." She said with a grin. I was sure it was not going to be something I wanted to wear in mixed company.

"After you shower we can get on my laptop and order you some new clothes, that should be fun!" She laughed.

Rosalie just rolled her eyes, having had years of dealing with Alice's enthusiasm. I am sure she was happy to have someone else for Alice to play dress up with.

They left the room and I headed into the bathroom. I wrapped the bag around my hand and stripped, walking into the glass walled shower. There were shower heads all over, even on the ceiling. I closed the heavy glass door and turned every knob on high. I was startled when the water came streaming out freezing cold.

"Holy shit," I screamed, trying to adjust the water temperature with one hand.

I heard the door open, slamming into the wall. I was distracted trying to stop the water from giving me hypothermia, and just assumed it was Alice or Rosalie who had come to help me.

"Oh God, please help. My skin is starting to turn blue." I yelled over the noise of the water.

The shower door opened and I expected to see blonde or black hair reach around me to turn the knobs. Imagine my surprise when I saw water droplets coating rust colored hair, and thick, sinewy forearms cover my hand to turn the lever.

The water immediately started to warm up, and I was left standing naked next to a soaking wet Edward.

"I heard you scream. I was worried you were hurt." His voice was rough in the enclosed space.

With the water warming the air around us, his smell was intensified. It was like cool cucumber, limes and vanilla. I was instantly regretting that I had not shaved in over a week. My plastic bag wrapped wrist was pressed against my chest, hoping to keep the girls covered.

Edward cleared his throat and pulled away, closing the shower door behind him. I risked a glance and caught him staring at my back. I could have cared less. He was soaked through, his grey shirt clinging to the unyielding muscles of his chest. I could have used his abs as a xylophone, they were that defined. His black slacks were weighed down by the water, and it was obvious that he was aroused by our naked staring contest. I'm not saying I was not as well, I was just thankful that mine was not as apparent.

He cleared his throat again and pulled his gaze up to my face. I was caught staring this time, and quickly averted my eyes. He mumbled something about a towel and was out of the room faster than my eyes could process.

I turned my face into the water, trying to get my heart rate back to normal. I was startled by another throat being cleared.

"Well, that was just redonkulous." Rosalie laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You should have seen him running outta here like his ass was on fire!"

_Well, his ass IS super hot!_

A/N: Remember.... reviews get you an EPOV from this chapter. I will tell you that there will be water involved! Thanks for reading. _  
_


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: So I have been getting some questions about the Volturi and the contract. I thought it might be helpful to have another POV to help explain what is going on in Volterra. So, here is Aro's POV right after the auction.

APOV

"What do you mean she was a shield?" I boomed.

Eleazar had just dropped a bomb. I trusted my staff to always do their jobs. I was a busy man, I could not remind them what to do. He had one job, to make sure that he documented anyone who had special abilities. Not that hard. Scan the room and see if anyone had any special traits. He had found the mind reader and the fire starter easily. How could he have missed this?

"I'm sorry sir. It was only after she had collapsed that I realized she had been blocking my ability. Then it was too late, she had already been sold and was gone." He admitted.

I was tempted to pull each of his fingers and toss them into the ocean. He could go for a swim and try to find them. At least that would get his worthless face out of my sight.

"Fine, fine. You fucked up. What are you going to do about it? With that kind of power we would be unstoppable. You need to find a way to get her back." I said. Just thinking about having a shield in my arsenal was exciting.

"What would you have me do? Go kidnap her? You know that if he was going to drink her, she would be dead by now. No way someone could only take a sip out of that girl." He snarled. The finger pulling was sounding better and better.

"We need to try and find a legal way to get her back. If they have not killed her by now, maybe they were going to use her as a slave. Give them a month, if she is still alive then they must return her. Make up some excuse about it being a 'meal only' auction. That boy that won her was not paying enough attention to realize we are lying out of our ass." I suggested. And by suggested I meant demanded.

I needed to get her back, preferably alive. I would have some fun with her before I turned her. I was looking forward to it!

Chapter 10

BPOV

I was still in shock from Edward's and my close encounter of the shower kind. I managed to finish up after Rosalie left, and was now sorting through the clothes Alice had left on the bed. She said she was going to find me something to wear to bed, yet all I could find was skimpy lingerie. Don't get me wrong, someone had exquisite taste, but I was not going to waltz around the house in nothing but a baby doll and sheer robe. Alice had even left me high heeled slippers. _Hello, you have seen the kind of damage I can do to myself without the assistance of stiletto slippers. _

"Rosalie" I shouted. I figured I had a better chance of convincing her to find me a tee-shirt than I did the wardrobe nazi.

"Yes, midnight?" She smirked.

"Midnight?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna call you midnight, as in "midnight snack." Thought that was pretty creative." She laughed.

_Oh man, these guys had a fucked up sense of humor._

"Ah, yeah, anyway," I started, "is there some way you could grab me one of Emmett's shirts to sleep in? Alice left all this lingerie, and I am not comfortable frolicking through the house in it."

"Um, sure Bella. I think I can find something." She said cryptically before she glided out of the room.

She was back in a flash and handed me a gray long sleeved shirt. "This should do. Hope you enjoy it." And with a wink she was gone.

I had no idea what that was about, but the shirt was perfect. I found a pair of boy shorts in the pile of sin and threw them on under the shirt. After deeming myself presentable, I went out to say good night before my eyelids slammed shut. I found everyone in the living room, with the exception of Edward. I figured he was still embarrassed about our shower peep show, I knew I was.

"Sleep well Bella. We will be discussing some other options on how to keep you safe." Carlisle offered. "We are hoping to have a plan of action by tomorrow morning."

_No wonder they are all so smart, you have tons more time to do things when you don't have to sleep_.

"Ok, thanks so much for everything you all have done for me." I said, getting a little teary eyed. These "people" did not have to help me, yet had gone out of their way to try and keep me safe. They would have my eternal appreciation and trust.

"Bella, I think that we are going to have to get used to the fact that you are family now. And we protect our family." Emmett said, serious for once.

With a small wave to the room, I headed back up stairs. I listened at the door to Edward's room, but could not hear anything. I was kinda disappointed that I was not going to get to say good night. He had been my savior more times than I could count in the few hours I had known him.

I climbed up into the bed and settled down under the fluffy white comforter. For someone who has no need for a bed, they sure know how to buy one. I was asleep within minutes, and dreaming not long after.

_Edward and I were on a wooded trail, me slung across his back. He was running so fast, the wind was whipping through my hair making a whistling sound. He slowed to a human pace as we neared a clearing. The sun was high above, shining down on the field of wild flowers. I had never seen so many different colors, it looked as if a rainbow was laying across the meadow._

_He pulled me from his back, cradling me in his arms. _

"_This is for you." He whispered. "I had never seen anything as beautiful as this place, until I laid my eyes on you."_

And yes, even in my dreams I swooned.

_As he leaned his head down to kiss me, a strong wind rocked the meadow. Freezing cold and biting, it chilled me to the bone. He tried to shield me from it, but it kept changing directions. _

_He looked down at me sadly. _

"_I can't keep you safe."_

_Suddenly he pushed me behind him as he turned and watched a blond, long haired vampire walk out of the trees. He started moving towards us quickly, making the flowers look like a wave upon the ocean. Edward launched himself towards the blur, but the blond was fast, and timed his jump so he landed behind Edward, and right in front of me._

"_Oh Isabella, I am going to enjoy this." He snarled._

I shot up in bed, shaking and stifling a cry. The cold persisted, and I looked over to see the window next to the bed was open. I knew I had not opened the window, even in May the nights got cold in the Northwest. I pushed the covers off, and got out of bed. I was not some helpless scaredy cat. I could check things out for myself. _Although I really wish I had a baseball bat right now._

As I got closer to the window, the wind moaned and pushed the curtains into the room.

_Forget this shit, I am outta here._

I ran to the door and pulled it open, only to barrel straight into a solid naked chest. I screamed and brought my hands up to my face, barely missing breaking my own nose with my cast. Edward grabbed my arms, pulling me out into the hall.

"What is wrong? Your heart rate is skyrocketing, I could hear it from my room." He said.

"My dream... and then the window, and the curtains." I stammered. Between the fright and seeing the shirtless specimen in front of me, I was lucky I could get that much out. _Good thing he had pajama pants on or I might be catatonic and drooling._

"What about the window?" He asked.

"I am sure that I didn't open it before I went to bed. When I woke up from my dream, it was open and the wind was blowing in. I got scared and ran out." I admitted sheepishly. I had really wanted to be a warrior and face whatever demon was out there, but alas, I acted like a typical girl.

"Emmett." He said quietly. I was just about to correct him and tell him no, my name was Bella, when Emmett appeared next to us.

"Keep her safe, I am going to check things out." He said to Emmett.

I would have protested, but he was gone before I could even form the words. Emmett peered into the room, while keeping his giant paws on my arms, holding me in place against the wall. Edward returned a few seconds later, looking grim.

"Let's go downstairs with the others. I think there are some new things we need to discuss." He said.

Emmett released my arms and I sagged against the wall. This could not be good, someone must have been in my room and opened the window. How could Alice not see this, or Edward have heard them? I was so exhausted, there was no way I would be able to stay up for another session of "what the hell is going on."

Edward cleared his throat and I looked up at him. He looked so worried, and I wish I could have been able to ease his mind. He seemed to be staring at my shirt, and I looked down, hoping that I was not sporting highbeams.

"How did you get my shirt?" He whispered.

"I asked Rosalie to borrow one of Emmett's. Alice only brought me inappropriate night time attire." I admitted. "I'm sorry, I just assumed it was Emmett's." I was worried he was upset I was wearing something of his_. _I kinda liked it.

He seemed flustered, "No, I'm sorry. I was just surprised to see you wearing it. I had been looking for it tonight, it matches my pants."

I looked down and noticed that it indeed would match the pants that were slung low on his delicious looking hips. I could not tear my eyes from the line of bronze hair that extended from his navel down under the waistband of his pants. My fingers itched to trace that path, and I had to clench them into fists to keep them from doing just that.

He chuckled and I jerked my head up, cheeks flaming. He flicked his head in the direction of the stairs and pulled my hand over his arm. The old fashioned charm he exuded was really a turn on. I was hoping to encounter a puddle one of these days and see if he would take his coat off so I could walk on it.

We trudged down the stairs and I curled up on the couch. Edward sat next to me, and explained what he had discovered. There had definitely been a vampire in my room. He did not recognize the scent, but they had not been gone long. It seems my dream had awoken me just in time, and I scared the intruder off. He must of been hoping he could catch me unaware and take me without anyone else knowing.

Alice and Edward both admitted that they had not noticed anything amiss. They had all noticed my increased heart rate during me dream _(Awesome!) _but they could still hear me breathing in the room upstairs, so thought nothing of it.

I had not realized I had dozed off until I felt Edward's cold hand on my bare leg.

"Bella, do you want to sleep here tonight. It is not very comfortable, but at least we can all keep you safe here." He suggested.

"No Edward, why don't you just come up and lay in that nice comfy bed with me." I challenged. I am sure it was the exhaustion was making me so brave. I could barely keep my eyes open.

I heard one of the girls giggle and then felt Edward lift me up off the couch. "All right Sleeping Beauty, the comfy bed it is."

I snuggled into his stone chest, inhaling his cucumber, lime, vanilla scent. I was surprised that I could not smell his scent on his shirt.

"I had not worn it yet silly girl." He laughed.

_Oh damn, must have said that out loud._

I could feel another rumbling laugh move through his chest, "Yes precious, you are saying those things out loud."

I tried to shut off my inner monologue before I said something that would really make it hard for him to share my bed. _Get it.....hard?_

A/N: Remember, reviews will get you some Edward in your inbox!


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Thanks so much Dalloway5906, who thinks I have something against the word 'of'! Gotta love all of you who have put this story on alert/favorites. Now if I could just get more of you to review, I could be even happier! More fun at the bottom!

Chapter 11

BPOV

I woke up disoriented and freezing. At first I could not understand why I was so cold, I was obviously under the comforter. I opened my eyes to find the reason for my drop in body temperature, and found that I was wrapped around Edward. My leg was thrown over his thighs and my head was cushioned on his chest, my cast encased arm draped across his body. I was hesitant to look up at him, knowing that he had been forced to just lay here, unable to sleep, while I was sprawled over him.

"I can tell you are awake Bella." He smirked.

Figuring I could not fake sleep any longer, I looked up at him. While I am sure I was sporting some crazy bed head and a sleep creased face, he looked immaculate, as always. _So not fair._

"Good morning," I said. _Yeah Bella really original. You can't come up with anything better than that?_

"Good morning, you slept well." He said. Ugh, I hated that he watched me sleep. I was really hoping I had not done anything embarrassing while I was unconscious.

"Yes, I did. Thanks for staying. Last night's excitement really had me freaked out. I don't think I would have been able to sleep if I was alone." I admitted.

"Well I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to you while you were under my protection." He said, pulling my hand up to his mouth. His breath was cool as he sighed against the part of my hand not covered with plaster.

"Edward, there is no way you could have known someone would have tried to break in and get me. They must have been pretty brave to face a house full of vampires. Do you think it was someone from Volterra?" I wondered.

"No." He said, and I could tell by his tone he thought the conversation was over. Well, if he thought he was gonna leave me in the dark he had another thing coming.

I sat up, pushing the covers off me. "Well, who was it then."

"Do not worry Bella, it will not be happening again. There is no need to upset you any further."

"Look Edward, this is not 1918. You are not going to be able to keep me home as if I were barefoot and pregnant while you go out and deal with the big bad things in the world. I need to know what is going on." I ranted.

He looked shocked at my outburst. His eyes traced down my body to rest on my abdomen, his expression wistful. "No Bella, I understand I can not do that. But I was really hoping that you could just trust me to give you only the information you need. I am trying not to have to frighten you if I can help it."

I sighed, understanding his protective nature. He knew first-hand how vicious these monsters could be.

"Fine Edward, whatever you say." I relented. I would just ask Alice when I had the chance.

His gaze was still on my belly, his expression painful.

"What's wrong Edward?" I whispered.

His eyes flew to my face, "You understand I can never give you normal things. You have been thrust into this situation and you were living your own life before all of this happened. Your free will has been taken away, and I worry that you are trying to make the best out of a bad situation."

"Edward, you would be the best in any situation." I said truthfully. "And my free will has not been taken away, I am still free to do what I want. My choices could just mean a horrible and painful death."

He seemed somewhat relieved, and I was thankful I could at least ease some of his guilt. There was really no place I would rather be than here with his family. And really where was my life going before all of this? I had very few friends and was working towards a useless degree. My spare time was spent living vicariously through the characters of my favorite books.

I pushed up onto my knees, trying to get closer to Edward. I hated seeing him look so defeated.

"Edward, you do understand that even as horrible as all of this has been, I would do it all over again if it means it would bring us together?"

I brought my good hand up to run my fingers along his solid jaw. His eyes closed and he leaned into my hand. I could not resist plunging my hand into his hair, feeling the satin silk of each strand. I looked into his beautiful face, silently begging him to open his eyes so he could see the depth of my feelings. I shifted my body closer to his, craving his cool electricity. The room felt as if it were alive with the static moving between us. As if he could doubt the sincerity of my words. Being here with him would be the best thing I would ever experience.

His eyes slowly opened, topaz rimmed with onyx. "Bella, you have no idea how amazing your touch feels. The warmth, the sparks I feel when your skin meets mine."

"I imagine that it is the same thing I feel when you touch me." I breathed. _Hint, hint .... touch me._

He ran his hand up my bare shin, hesitating at the multiple scars that covered my knee. "You have so many scars you beautiful, clumsy girl. I will do everything I can to make sure there will be no more."

His hand continued up my thigh to the hem of his shirt. "I could really get used to seeing you in my clothes." He said.

_If it means you are in less clothes, I will wear whatever you want!_

"Thank you for letting me borrow it, even if Rosalie did steal it. I would not have been as comfortable if I had been wearing one of the outfits Alice had picked out." I admitted.

"I am sure I would be having some discomfort if you had been wearing that as well." He said smirking.

I could feel his fingertips hesitantly moving beneath the shirt and could not suppress a tremor.

He thought I was shivering and immediately removed his hand. "You must be cold, I did not think about how my touch would affect your temperature."

I grabbed his hand and put it back where it was. _Maybe a little higher, a girl can wish._

"It is fine Edward. Your fingers may be cool, but you are making me hot." I all but moaned. _Oh God Bella, try and not act like a horn dog._

Encouraged by my reaction, he continued to slide his fingers up and down my thigh, getting higher with each pass. He was watching the shirt move along with his hand, while I was watching his face. He was concentrating so hard, I wondered if he was still having issues with the scent of my blood. Could it be that he was reacting to me as a woman and not as a food source?

I took action and slid my hand over his bare chest and down his abdomen. His muscles clenched under my fingers and his digits stilled under my shirt.

"Oh Bella, that feels so good." He sighed, a tremor running through his frame. This was uncharted territory for me, having never gotten past first base before. I figured I should alert him to my inexperience before we got much further.

"Edward, I have never really done this before."

"What, made a vampire tremble?" He said, with a laugh.

"No smart ass, I meant this, all of this. I'm ugh… innocent?" I phrased it as a question, hoping he would get my meaning without me having to explain further.

He stared at me, expressionless for what felt like hours. He then started to chuckle.

"What the hell Edward?" I asked, trying to hit him with my cast again. He only wrapped his long arms around my upper body, immobilizing my arms.

"No Bella, don't mistake my amusement, it is not at your expense. I, as well, am innocent as you put it. I had been hoping to follow your lead in this department. Now it seems we will have to experience all of these new things together." He admitted. "Would you like me to ask Emmett to borrow some of his X-rated movies?"

"No you idiot. I know where things are supposed to go!" You could have fried an egg on my forehead by now, I was so embarrassed.

He released my arms and wrapped his hands around my throat, which must have been his new favorite place. "Believe me Bella, there is nothing I like more than to know I will be the only person giving you pleasure, ever."

"Yeah, I get that would feed into your ego. But I agree, I like that there has never been another girl in your pants."

"Well, technically you are in my shirt, I am in my own pants." He grinned.

_What a smart ass he was._

He sighed dramatically. "As much as I loath to interrupt this, Alice is chomping at the bit to get you to her laptop. She already has a shopping cart full of clothes for you, and wants to know your opinion about garter belts."

"I don't think I have an opinion. Can I borrow yours?" I giggled.

That earned me a smack on the behind as I tried to move past him on the bed and out the door. _Oh, I think I need to add that to the things I would like Edward to do later!_

"I'm coming Alice, just let me get dressed." I yelled, while trying to pull the shirt up over my cast and over my head.

"You know you don't need to yell, she can hear you just fine. As a matter of fact I think everyone in the house could hear you." Edward said.

I turned around, the shirt stuck around my shoulder. "What do you mean they can all hear me? They have heard this whole conversation?"

He nodded.

"So now everyone knows I am a virgin?" I screeched.

"Well, if they did not before they sure do now." Alice's muffled voice chimed in from outside the door.

_Damn, talk about embarrassing. _

A/N: Come on, hit that little green button and you can find out what Edward is thinking! 

And because I can't think of anything else right now, go read 'Breaking News' by Writeontime. It is rocking my world!_  
_


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Wow, I have now broken 100 reviews! Thank you so much to those of you who take the time and review. I read every one of them!

Thanks to my beta, Dalloway5906, who is adamant that there needs to be some sparkle peen soon. Soon, very soon!

Chapter 12

BPOV

Edward tried to convince me that it was not brutally embarrassing that his family now knew I was a virgin. He said he had heard some really mortifying things about his family through the years, and this was not a big deal.

I finally got dressed in an Alice approved outfit and went up to Jasper and Alice's room to help her order some more new clothes for me. Once I got there, I could see my presence was not really needed, she was only humoring me. She already had a full wardrobe for each season ordered and was now working her way through Zappos, ordering me enough shoes to last a lifetime.

I got my hand smacked by Alice when I tried to add a pair of blue suede Puma sneakers into the basket. "No, bad Bella. Those shoes are hideous. Here, lets get you some of these kitten heeled mary janes, they look comfortable."

"Yeah, maybe for you who have feet of steel. They look really uncomfortable for me, the human who is accident prone." I said.

She rolled her eyes at me and continued to add high heeled death-traps into her cart. By the time she had finished there were 44 pairs of shoes and boots at check out and the total was well over $4,000. I don't think my truck was worth that when it was new.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Alice just held up a hand. Her eyes went glassy for a second and then she turned to me. "Bella, you are going to give in anyway after I explain about our vast fortune and desire to make you as comfortable as possible. So let's just cut to the chase so we can head over to La Perla and start on the fun stuff."

I relented and Alice turned back to the computer and pulled up another site. My jaw hit the floor when I saw that the prices were ridiculous. "Alice, I am just fine with my bra and panty set from Target. And Edward has no experience to draw from, so what does it matter?"

"Bella, you are forgetting that even though Edward has never participated in anything like this, he has seen the thoughts of thousands of people. You have heard that men think about sex every 6 seconds, so imagine how many thoughts he has had to put up with."

I had never thought about that, he must have seen a lot of things. I relented and let Alice have full reign. The cart was overflowing after she was done, and I was flabbergasted to see that they actually charged $550 for silk pajamas. After some more begging on Alice's part, I was the proud new owner of $4,500 worth of decadent lingerie. I had to admit, I was looking forward to modeling it for Edward.

Our shopping done, Alice released me back to Edward, who I found in the kitchen. He had the Food Network on and was following Alton Brown's recipe for fried chicken. Someone must have made another trip to the grocery store, there was food everywhere.

"Hello precious girl. Are you hungry?" He asked, looking adorable with a yellow apron covering his hips and flour dusted across his nose.

"Yes, actually I am. Alice kept me busy buying all kinds of things." I said, thinking about the beautiful pink babydoll that was on its way.

"I know. The little minx let a few things slip as you were shopping. I am partial to the thought of you in pink now." He said with a grin.

I flushed to my roots, and looked down. He chuckled and went to the stove to flip the chicken. "I have to say I am enjoying cooking, though the smell is atrocious. I like the predictability of knowing if you follow the directions, the results will be the same every time."

"Well, I am not going to complain. I have always had to cook, so I will just sit back and relax and let you take care of me." I said as he slid a plate of chicken in front of me. "Keep this up though and I will not be able to fit in all of my new clothes."

He laughed and set about cleaning the kitchen. It was amazing to watch him move at vampire speed. It must be so confining to have to hide his true nature around humans.

After I ate, he said he had something he wanted to show me outside. The trees kept the sun at bay as we wandered down the path that led off of the patio. He held my hand and caught me when I tripped over an exposed root. _My hero._

The trees thinned and I could see an open meadow, exactly like the one in my dream. I hesitated at the edge of the tree cover, and Edward gave my hand a squeeze.

"What is wrong? I wanted to show you what we look like in the sun." He said, excited to see my reaction.

"It is just… this was the place from my dream. We were here together and the other vampire came from over there." I pointed, trying to slink back into the forest.

"There is no one here now, I promise you. Just come out here a little further into the sun."

I held onto his hand for dear life and stepped into the meadow. The sun was warm and there was only a slight breeze. The flowers were in full bloom, just like in my dream. I had been so preoccupied with my surroundings, I had forgotten about Edward. I turned my face toward him and was captivated by what I saw. His skin was covered in shimmering facets. He looked like a beautiful gemstone, flashing in the sunlight.

He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and bared his chest. The reflection of the light was amazing, and I had to turn my face from its brilliance. He moved towards me and I went willingly into his arms.

"You are spectacular. Thank you for sharing that with me. I can see why you would avoid going out in public like this." I giggled.

"Yes, it would be quite a distraction."

We stayed that way for a while, in a quiet embrace. I did not want to move, but knew we had to go back to the house and try and deal with our visitor from last night. Edward pulled away to button his shirt and I took the opportunity to bask in the sun. It was so rare we had a sunny day here, and after growing up in Arizona, I dearly missed its warmth.

The wind shifted and I felt a change in the meadow. Before I could turn, I was slung over Edward's back and he was running into the woods. It was reminiscent of my dream, the wind whipping through my hair. I tried to talk, but the blast of air took my breath away. Edward had one hand holding under my hips and the other grasping my good arm. I could only endure the ride and hope to get answers when we got back to the house.

Alice and Jasper were waiting on the patio as we approached the house. He slowly lowered me to the ground, keeping one arm around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry Edward. I didn't see it until you had already left the meadow. Whatever it is they are using to block my visions wears off the further you are from them." Alice said, nervously wringing her hands.

I felt a wave of relaxation hit me and looked towards Jasper. He shot me a grin and wrapped his arm around Alice. I could tell she had been worried about Edward's reaction.

"Don't worry Alice, Edward was caught unaware as well." I said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Yes, Alice, don't worry. It was only when I caught his scent on the breeze that I realized we were not alone. It was the same one who broke into Bella's room last night. He must be very ambitious if he is back today." He said.

"Could he be working for the Volturi? I mean, we know that they are able to block your powers, and so does he." I asked. It was really pissing me off that this guy was not only stalking me in my dreams, he was also following me around while I was awake.

"All I know is that I am almost positive that I saw him at the auction. He was not blocking his thoughts then, and they were very disturbing." Edward answered, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

"What do you mean, 'disturbing?'" I asked, turning to face him. I was getting better at telling when he was keeping information from me.

"When I went up to pay for you," he said cringing, "I could hear what he had planned if he had been the winner. He was the highest bidder before I won."

"So, you think he is here because he is still pissed that you got me and not him?"

"Yes, Bella. Judging from his thought at the auction, he had already thought of you as his possession. I have a feeling that he will not stop until he has what he thinks if rightfully his." He responded.

I started to shake, overwhelmed with the information I had been given. Not only did we have to worry about the Volturi coming for me, I had a vampire stalker who thought of me as his property.

"So what should we do? You can kill him right?" I asked Edward.

"Yes, I could destroy him easily." He said, puffing out his chest. _Men and their egos._

"Well, what if we used me as bait? You could all hide and when he comes to get me, you pounce." I suggested.

The growl that ripped from Edward's chest was deafening. "There is no way you will be putting yourself in harm's way. With Alice's visions being compromised, there is no way for us to know how things will turn out." He punctuated his little tantrum by shaking me roughly.

"Ok, ok Edward calm down." I said cupping his jaw in my palm. I was going to have to find time to talk to the others without Edward knowing. This was the best plan, and he was going to just have to trust me.

"Why don't we all just go inside and tell the others about this." Alice suggested.

I leaned up on my toes to give Edward a chaste kiss. It was thrilling to hear how adamant he was about my safety, knowing how much he cared about me. I was willing to put my life and my body in his hands. I could only hope he knew what to do with both.

A/N: Come on and click that button and get another EPOV from chapter 11, since this one was not as fun!

And

If you are not reading 'The University of Edward Masen', you should be kicked out of the fandom!

I'm Serious!


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Dalloway5906 is the best beta anyone could ask for! More at the bottom, enjoy!

Chapter 13

BPOV

We headed back into the house. Edward was all but wrapped around me, his eyes darting back and forth. It must be driving him crazy, not being able to trust his gift. Everyone was waiting for us in the living room.

"Only you could have a vampire stalker Bella." Emmett laughed.

"Ha, ha Emmett. I swear to monkeys, if you were not so big I would take you down." I said.

"Swear to what? Monkeys? What are you twelve?" Emmett chuckled.

"I already have a first class seat to hell, so why make it any worse by cursing the Big Guy out. I swear to monkeys instead." I retorted.

"So when Edward finally rocks your world, will we hear you call out 'Oh monkeys'?" He snickered.

Rosalie smashed him in the face with a pillow, and feathers flew everywhere. I could not help but laugh. Poor helpless pillow.

I decided to just ignore his comments and turned towards Carlisle.

"Do you have a minute to look at my shoulder? It feels a little tight." I asked

"Not a problem Bella. Let's go into my office." He said, rising from his spot on the couch.

Edward made a move to come with me, but I put my hand on his arm. "No, stay here and fill everyone in. I'll be fine."

He nodded his head, and I released his arm, following Carlisle down the hall. As soon as the door was closed I went to his desk and grabbed a pen and paper off of the surface. He came over, curious as to what I was doing. I started writing.

_Can you keep your thoughts from Edward?_

He shook his head yes.

_He refuses to use me as bait to get to this stalker vampire. That would be the fastest way to flush him out. We can't be worried about him and trying to deal with the Volturi stuff all at the same time._

He took the pen from me.

_Bella, he will not let us put you in danger. There has to be another way._

I put my hand out for the pen, which he placed in my palm.

_If you won't help, I will do it on my own._

He huffed and finally nodded his head.

_Fine. I will take the others out hunting later and explain your plan to them. _

I nodded and ripped the sheet off, balling it up and throwing it in the trash can. I allowed Carlisle to check out my shoulder, cause that shit actually was hurting a bit. He gave me some pain pills and we headed out of the office so I could get a drink.

He went into the kitchen and I wandered over towards the living room. Everyone was still there, trying to clean up the feather explosion. I happened to look out the front window as I passed and saw a brown cardboard box. Excited that it could be one of the clothes deliveries, I ran to the front door.

"Alice, some of my new clothes came!" I shouted as I ran down the steps. The second I got to the package I froze, realizing that we had just placed those orders and there was no way anything could have gotten here already.

"Bella, no!" I heard Alice scream from inside, seconds before I was imprisoned in a set of steel arms. I did not have a chance to yell as we started to move. He threw me over his shoulder, and took off running through the woods.

"Well that was easier than I thought." My captor chuckled.

I tried to wiggle free, but soon gave that up as I realized I would only succeed in giving myself bruises. There was no way I could escape, but I had to slow him down someway to give the Cullens time to catch up. What did he want me for? My blood. Ok, well then I'll give it to him. I curled my good hand into a fist and punched his back as hard as I could, hoping to split the skin of my knuckles. The blinding pain in my hand signaled my success and I could feel our movements slow.

"Oh, you little tease. Why would you go and do that?" He whined as he set me down next to a fallen log. He immediately grabbed my hand, bringing it up to his mouth. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to repress a shutter as his tongue snaked out to trace the blood coating my fingers. I could totally get off if it was Edward doing this, but this guy was totally skeevy. Plus he was trying to kidnap and probably kill me.

I could feel more than hear Edward's approach. Blondie was too obsessed with giving my fingers a spit bath to notice and I hoped he would be distracted long enough for Edward to make a move. I still was worried for his safety, even though he said he was indestructible. Finally all traces of my blood were gone, leaving only a tingling sensation behind. He looked up into my face, his crimson eyes intense.

"I was going to take you back and share, but now I think I will just have to keep you all to myself. I do wish you would fear me a little more, makes you taste so much better." He said, giving my hand a squeeze. He lowered his head down towards my wrist and my heart rate jumped, but not in fear from this vampire. I was scared I would never get to see Edward again and tell him how important he had become to me.

I opened my mouth to say the words, hoping he would hear me. I had barely gotten the 'Edward' out when I was suddenly free. I would see Edward standing behind Blondie, squeezing his neck. It looked like his head would explode like a huge zit. I wanted to stay and see if white puss would squirt out, but Emmett gathered me up and took off running towards the house.

"Well kid, you sure are a magnet for trouble." He laughed as he galloped through the woods.

"Yeah, you keep finding me don't ya." I replied, shaking in his arms as the shock of what happened set in. He tightened his grip and ran faster.

Rosalie and Esme were standing on the porch as we returned. Emmett dumped me unceremoniously on the steps and took off running back into the trees. The girls rushed down to help me up, bringing me back into the house. "Where is everyone else?" I asked, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.

"They stayed to try and get some info from that bottle blond." Rosalie said. "Don't worry, they should have him in pieces by now."

You can always count on Rosalie to tell it like it is. I did not want to think about that, so I tried to stop the quaking that was ravaging my body. Esme wrapped her long arms around me, but that only made it worse and I started to shiver from the cold. I started laughing hysterically, my body trying to deal with the shit storm I had just gone through. I could feel the tears streaming down my face and rubbed the back of my hand across my face, smearing snot, tears and blood all over my cheek. Both girls jumped back, distancing themselves from me and my bloody face. I got up, still laughing/sobbing and went up the stairs to try and clean up. No need to tempt the fates any further by taunting my gory goodness in front of the vamps.

I washed my face off one handed and attempted to wrap a clean sock around my knuckles. I was still chuckling when someone knocked on the door. I answered the door and found a haggard looking Carlisle standing there with his doctor bag. I doubled over in giggles as I realized that he would never be able to go back to work. He could make a full time job just taking care of my clumsy ass.

He guided me over to the bed and helped me lay down. "You sure are accident prone, aren't you?" He said while bandaging my hand.

"Where is Edward? Is Blondie dead? Did anyone get hurt? Where is Edward?" I asked, hysteria creeping into my voice again.

"Edward is fine, everyone is fine. Well except for your abductor. We were able to get some information out of him before Edward got a little crazy." He admitted.

I relaxed back into the bed, thankful that everyone was fine. My body was quickly running out of energy and I wanted to see Edward before I collapsed into dreamland. My wish was answered as he came through the door seconds later.

"Is she ok?" He quietly asked Carlisle. They shared a silent conversation and Edward nodded grimly.

"You promised not to keep me out of the loop anymore." I demanded, fatigue slurring my words.

"So sorry precious girl. Everything is fine. I will explain after you have rested. Are you feeling all right?" He questioned.

"Ugh, everything hurts. I could really use an ice pack, for my whole body. You want to be considered for the job?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

He snorted, shaking his head. "Yes, I can do that for you. Just let me get you another pain pill, I will be right back."

I closed my eyes as Carlisle finished wrapping my hand. He used a styptic pencil to make sure my wounds were closed, no need to tempt the vampires with fresh blood. I checked out for a minute and when I opened my eyes, I was met by a pair of golden ones. I had been so worried I would never get the chance to tell him how I felt. I vaulted up and wrapped my arms around his solid neck. His arms immediately cradled me against his chest, his face pressed into my neck.

"I was so scared." I whispered. "I was scared I would never see you again."

"I have never been so frightened before. He took off so fast, if you had not distracted him we would have never caught up." He said, his voice husky. "How did you get him to stop?"

"Ugh, I punched him." I said, ducking my head further into his chest.

"You did what?" He asked.

"I punched his back so my skin would break open. I figured he would have a hard time ignoring my blood. It hurt like hell but what can I say, I had an adrenaline rush. It's very common. You can Google it." I said quickly.

He growled against my neck, "You are always getting hurt around me. How am I ever going to be able to protect you?"

"We make quite a pair. You are immortal and I am taunting death at every turn." I said, trying to get a laugh out of him.

"It is not funny Bella. I am not sure I would be able to go on if something happened to you. You are my life now."

I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes. "Don't you realize Edward, I feel the same way."

"Are you afraid of being with me?"

"I'm only afraid of losing you." I said, happy that I could finally admit it.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you." He said as he slowly lowered us to the bed, his cool body covering mine as I drifted off to sleep.

A/N:

Awww, so sweet. Now be sweet to me and review!

No EPOV for this one, I am saving it for the next chapter. Believe me, it will be worth it!

Oh and heads up, I will be earning my M rating on Sunday :)

***

Now that you don't have my stuff to read till Sunday:

**GYNAZOLE**.... go forth and laugh. rocks my world!!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: So here it it. Thank you to my beta, Dalloway5906, who had to read this twice because she forgot to edit the first time ;) More at the bottom!!

Chapter 14

I woke up disoriented and freezing. Woah, déjà vu. Didn't we just do this, like this morning? Our positions were reversed, with me laying on my back and Edward draped across me. His head was cushioned on my chest, his mouth blowing cool air across my nipple. Our legs were intertwined and his heavy arm was wrapped around my waist. If I had not had to pee I would have been content to stay that way forever. But, I really had to pee.

I tugged on his hair to get his attention. If I did not know better I would have thought he was sleeping. His face was so relaxed, he looked every bit of his immortal 17 years.

"Gotta pee cuteness." I said, my voice husky from sleep.

He was quick to jump up and off me, taking my hand to pull me upright. "So sorry precious girl. I often find I am forgetting about all of your human needs."

As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly. He stifled a laugh and headed downstairs to scrounge me up some food. I took my time in the bathroom, inspecting my body for any ill effects of my abduction. I bruised very easily, but what I saw was shocking. I had obvious hand prints on both upper arms and at my waist. They were deep purple with black along the outside. I knew they would become more colorful as they healed. I was just lowering my shirt when the door swung open. Edward was standing in the doorway carrying a huge tray laden with food, but he froze as soon as he saw me. I quickly finished pulling my shirt down as he placed the tray on the bed. His face was unreadable as he stalked over to me in the bathroom.

"Lift it back up." He growled.

"What?" I asked, nervous about what was going on.

"Your shirt, lift it back up." He demanded.

So, like a good little girl I stuck my tongue out and waltzed past him to get something to eat. He snagged the back of my shirt as I passed and it was quickly shredded by his powerful fingers. I was glad I had put on a bra that morning or we would both be embarrassed.

"Edward, what the hell?" I yelled, trying to cover my body.

He dropped to his knees in front of me. "Are those from me? Did I do that?" He said quietly, pain evident in his voice.

My face softened as I got closer to him. I took one of his hands from their perch on his thighs. Spreading his fingers I placed his hand over the bruise on my waist. "No Edward, they are not from you. You could never hurt me." I said as I showed him how his hands overlapped the marks. "These are from Blondie, but I guess you already took care of him."

The breath whooshed out of him as he brought his other hand up to completely circle my waist. "I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself if I ever hurt you."

I lowered myself to kneel along side of him. "I know that Edward. You could never hurt me."

The food was forgotten as I brought my hand up to his face, sliding my thumb along his jaw. I leaned in to drop a chaste kiss on his lips, but he opened his mouth to speak just as I made contact. His cool, delicious breath invaded my mouth and I was helpless to stop my tongue from reaching out to see if his lips tasted as good. My lips yielded against his stone ones as I pressed myself closer, pushing my tongue into his mouth. He hesitated for a second before allowing his tongue to join the foray.

I was careful to avoid his teeth, but gave myself free reign to explore the rest of his mouth. Our tongues battled, moving from his mouth to mine. I had never felt anything that could compare to kissing Edward Cullen. I felt my hands moving on their own to map the contours of his chest. I could feel the ridges and plains of his body and wanted to feel the smoothness of his skin. I pushed my hands under the shirt, bunching the fabric as I got higher. He pulled away from my mouth to yank it over his head, before attaching himself to my lips again.

His hands returned to my waist as mine went to his shoulders. I was enthralled with the broadness of his chest and how it tapered down to his narrow hips. I was not a complete novice on how to operate the male body, Mike Newton had been useful for something. I raked my nails down his chest, making sure to graze his nipples. His breath hitched and his grip on my waist tightened before his hands slid down to grab my ass, pulling me flush against his body. The electricity I felt when our skin touched made me tremble. His face was pressed into the tender skin where my shoulder met my neck. I could feel his cool panting breaths against my collarbone.

My hands were trapped between our bodies, the cast leaving room between us for me to slide my good hand down to where his jeans were slung low. I fought with the button before he leaned back to wrap his hands around my throat, tilting my face up. His eyes were completely black, none of the beautiful amber showing.

"What are you doing?" He whispered, as if he was worried speaking at a normal level would break whatever spell we were under.

"I want this Edward. Please. We have no idea how long I have here, with you. I don't want to waste any of it." I pleaded. I felt like the past few days had been one long form of foreplay.

He hung his head, and I thought for sure he would deny me. I mustered my courage and took the opportunity to quickly open his jeans and slide my hand into his pants. I pulled my hand out as if it were burned and pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down. My eyes were bugging out of my head as I looked at his body. I had seen a few naked guys, my best friend Jake when we were younger and unfortunately a glimpse of Newton. But I knew that there was something really wrong here.

"What is that?" I pointed with a shaky finger at the appendage in question.

"What do you mean Bella?" He asked, disgust tainting his words.

"Are you deformed or something? Does it have something to do with you being a vampire? Cause if it is I would HATE to see what Emmett is packing!"

He let out a humorless chuckle as he tried to shove himself back into his pants. I shot out my hand to stop him, unable to tear my eyes from his manhood. "Bella please, let's just forget this. I always thought there was something wrong with me after seeing hundreds of human's thoughts. Your reactions have just proven that."

"Oh Edward, I am sorry for my reaction. It just surprised me is all. I never expected you to be so... well big. There is nothing wrong with you. From what I can gather from my friends, you are every girls dream." I said, rubbing my hand up and down his arm, trying to sooth him.

I used my fingers under his chin to raise his head so he could see the sincerity in my eyes. "You are perfect Edward, I'm sorry. Let's start again. Please, touch me."

I was off the floor and on my back on the bed before I could take another breath. Edward's body was hovering over me, not touching me at any point. This show of his power caused a rush of moisture to my …. _Huh, never really had to refer to that part before. I think I call it my 'core.' Yeah, that works, not too raunchy._

Ok, so moisture was rushing to my core and Edward was poised above me with his face nestled in my throat. His nose pressed against my skin and he inhaled, his chest expanding and grazing my lace covered nipples. I shook under him, sweat starting to coat my body. My hand moved up to his chest and around to his back. His skin was stretched velvet over steel and I wanted to feel every inch. He lowered himself from his hands to his elbows, giving him freedom to touch me. His hand ghosted over my breast, causing my nipples to harden painfully. I wanted to feel his hand on my bare flesh, his mouth on my nipple. As is he could read my mind _(thank heavens he can't)_ he deftly opened the front clasp of my bra, parting the lacy fabric.

It felt like his hand was covering my flesh the second it was revealed. His palm was the perfect size and shape to hold me and if it were possible, I would ask him to walk around holding my breasts all day. His thumb rubbed over my nipple, while he used his tongue on the other one. A breathy moan tore through the air, and I was shocked to realize that it had been mine. My body bowed off the bed, thrusting me further into his hand and mouth. I spread my legs to accommodate his body as he dropped himself entirely onto the bed, settling his naked flesh against me. I could feel his cock _(Oh, well I guess I know what I am gonna call that)_ pressing against my cotton covered core, and my hips bucked as if they knew how to proceed. He was panting against my breast, holding perfectly still. I brought my hand down his side, around to his stomach. Tracing my fingers lower I gripped him roughly in my hand.

My fingers were sweaty and made it easier as I clumsily stroked him. He started to shake, keeping his head against my breast. Knowing that I was causing this beautiful and powerful creature to tremble strengthened my confidence. I tried to make a fist around his shaft, but my fingers would not touch. I moved my hand up and down, pausing at the tip to capture the moisture that had collected there. Edward was panting now, thrusting his hips in time with my hand. I could feel my wetness coating my inner thighs as his cool breath panted against my skin. I closed my eyes and continued to stroke him. I was startled when I felt fingers tracing down my stomach. Opening my eyes I looked into Edward's black ones. His fingers stopped at the waistband of my pants, as if seeking my approval. I raised my head, latching onto his mouth as his fingers inched closer to my wetness. I had only a moment to be embarrassed about how wet I was, for Edward's husky moan made it clear he liked it.

"Oh, the warmth. You are so wet. What is causing this?" He breathed against my skin. I was not sure he was looking for an answer, but I spoke before I realized.

"You Edward, it is all because of you."

He growled as his fingers sifted through my curls and moved into my softest flesh. I arched off the bed as his fingers hit a spot that sent sparks straight to my brain. I saw colors I never knew existed. He noticed my reaction and focused his movements around that bundle of nerves, his fingers circling. I could feel a tightness starting in my thighs and could not control the trembling of my muscles. My breaths were coming faster and faster and my fingers tightened around his cock. I could feel myself getting closer to the edge, but I was not sure what I would encounter when I fell. Knowing that I was in Edward's arms made me feel safe and I surrendered to the feelings as my body fell. My entire frame shook with pleasure and my mouth opened on a silent scream. I still had Edward's cock in my hand and was squeezing the shit out of it, but he did not seem to mind.

As I was floating down from my high, I released him and moved my hands to my pants, trying to push them down my legs. I wanted to be able to give him the same pleasure he had given me. Once he realized what I was trying to do, he was quick to move to my feet and pull off the offending garments. I was laying nude in front of him, and loving it. He was looking at me with such awe and joy. I raised my arms, encouraging him to come back. His body settled over mine again, this time without any barriers. I spread my legs wide for him and felt his cool flesh against where I was warmest.

Our eyes met, as if he were again asking permission. Did he not realize that I wanted this just as much as he did. I had been waiting for him, just as he had been waiting for me. I felt an instant of fear as he pushed his hips forward, searching for my entrance. He was huge and I had no idea how my body could stretch to accept him. He slowly nudged just the tip into me and my hips raised up, trying to pull him further in. The difference in our temperatures was amazing, and I wanted to feel his cold hardness as deep as possible. I winced as he pushed farther in, and he stopped, staring down into my face. I pulled his lips to mine, trying to reassure him that I was fine. With one last (painful) thrust his hips were finally flush with mine. I sighed against his lips as he stilled above me.

"Oh God Bella. Are you ok?" He sighed against my lips, his voice tight.

"Edward, yes. I'm fine. Please...." I begged.

"Please what precious girl?" He moaned, moving one hand under my shoulders and the other hitching my thigh up around his hip.

"Please ......" I breathed, my tongue moving out to trace the line of his full lower lip.

He slowly pulled his hips back, leaving me feeling empty before he thrust into me once more. The slight stinging pain I felt was quickly retreating, leaving only a pleasant fullness. I could see the tension on his face, knowing that he was struggling to hold back. I moved my hand down to his ass, sinking my nails into his granite skin.

"Please....." I said again as I slipped my tongue against his. He sucked it into his mouth and I could taste the sweetness of him. His body started to shutter and I pulled back, wanting to see his face as he succumbed to his pleasure. With one final thrust he stilled, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth open wide. I wish I had a camera to capture how he looked as he came, it was breathtaking. I could feel his cool release against my hot flesh, and it helped to sooth the slight stinging I felt.

His body collapsed on top of mine, and I relished in the fact that I had turned him into jelly. I stroked his back as I peppered kisses against his neck, feeling my racing heart echoing through his body.

A/N: Come on and hit that cute little review button. I really want to hear what you have to say. Make sure you sign in if you are leaving a review, cause otherwise I can't send you the EPOV.

Have a Happy Easter if you celebrate!

Please, go and read:

The Missapprehension of Bella Swan

by: Hunterhunting

Hockeyward and Snarkella own me! I live for her Wednesday updates!


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: So the response to Chapter 14 was AMAZING! So many new people reviewing, as well as my loyal reviewers showing the love. Thanks to Dalloway5906, who will not stop till I incorporate some sparkle peen in here soon!

Chapter 15

BPOV

I was having the most amazing dream. I was surrounded by the scent of vanilla, limes and cucumber… Edward. I could even feel his cold weight pressing against my back, his arm draped over my waist. If I tried hard enough I could feel his cool breath against my temple.

"Bella, wake up." I heard a warm voice say, disturbing my dream.

"Five more minutes." I grumbled.

"Bella, you have no idea how hard it is for me to have to interrupt your dream, but we really need to talk to everyone about what happened." The voice whispered in my ear.

"Ugh, fine, fine. I'm up." I said, pushing off the covers and vaulting out of bed. The second my feet hit the floor, I realized that I was stark naked. I froze and attempted to use my arms as a flesh bikini, but all that did was earn me a chuckle from Edward who was sitting on the bed.

"Shy this morning, are you?" He drawled. He sounded more like Jasper when he was making fun of me.

I attempted to dive back under the covers, but he caught me before I could reach them. He held my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist. I could feel something poking me in the butt….oh yeah that's right, his massive junk. He must have realized where my mind went when my face and chest turned a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"You feel so good in my arms. No regrets after last night?" He asked hesitantly.

"No Edward, no regrets. The only regret I am having is that I did not put on some clothes before I fell asleep." I admitted. Even though he had totally rocked my world last night, I was still feeling weird about having him see me in the buff this morning with the residue of our late night encounter smeared on my thighs. _Yuck, they never talk about the clean up in romance novels. _

"Bella, you have no idea how beautiful you are. Even with my improved vision, I can still find no faults. I would love to be able to take the time to lick every inch of your skin." He said, almost growling.

"What has gotten into you? Where did the shy virgin from last night go?" I asked, trying to turn around in his arms to look at him.

"Oh little girl, you have no idea the kind of thoughts I have been privy to over the last 90 years. And now I have the love of my life here to relive every one." He breathed as he allowed me to turn around and straddle his hips, my breasts crushed against his chest. He skimmed his nose down my throat, nipping the skin as he went. My breathing was erratic and I could feel moisture running down my thighs. His lips stopped at the hollow in my neck and he used his tongue to taste the salty sweat that was collecting there. I was totally prepared to help him out of his sleep pants and get started on some of those kinky thoughts as I inched my hand down his chest. He stilled my motions and looked up into my eyes. His were beyond black, I could see myself reflected back.

"I am being bombarded with questions about what happened yesterday from everyone. We really need to go down and meet with my family. We have some things to discuss." He said, as he ran his hands up and down my arms.

"Phewwww. You really are a tool, you know that. Teasing me is not nice Edward. Make yourself useful and get me something to wear." I pouted as I extricated myself from his grasp and hightailed it to the bathroom.

"Yes my precious girl." He chimed.

I wrapped my cast in the bag and wisely adjusted the temperature before I stepped into the shower. The water felt so good as I used my hand to work shampoo into my hair. I had just finished as I heard a thump from outside the stall. I cleared the soap from my eyes to find Edward standing against the glass door, his body pressed against the partition.

"What are you doing?" I asked, turning my body back under the water.

"Watching you shower. You look amazing with the water streaming down your body. If we did not have to be down stairs soon I would join you." He moaned.

I wanted the same thing and could not help where my mind went as I thought about how amazing it would feel to have his cool body pressed against mine as the hot water showered down on us. I took my time finishing up, knowing how it was affecting him. I could not help it if my breasts were really dirty and I needed to spend extra time on them. _Hey Edward, payback is a bitch._

He handed me a towel with a growl and stormed out of the room, adjusting himself as he went. I could not hold in the girly giggle as I realized what a sexy beast I was becoming. I was amazed that I could have that kind of effect on him. I got dressed quickly and could not help the smile that split my face as I saw the lingerie Edward had picked out for me. I could not wait for my new stuff to arrive. I had even more of a reason to wear it now.

I joined Edward in the bedroom and we went downstairs. Everyone was sitting in the living room. Carlisle looked pointedly at Edward and I could tell they were trying to have another one of their silent conversations. Had I not told them that shit was a no, no?

"Um, out loud gentlemen. I now have a bargaining chip I can use to punish you if you piss me off Edward." I warned, tugging on his hand.

His gulp was audible and Emmett was trying to hold in the laughter. "Oh man, that is great. Finally Edward is getting some pussy!" He roared, earning him a smack from Rosalie and an enraged shriek from Esme.

"Emmett, that is disgusting. Please remember your manners." She scolded. I giggled as I pictured Esme trying to uphold proper table manners as they were gnawing on a bear.

"So sorry Bella. I found some new information that I thought would be useful to Edward." Carlisle said bashfully. I was waiting for him to scuff his shoe on the ground like a petulant two year old who had been reprimanded.

"Well, don't you think that it might be wise to share it with the rest of the class." I smirked. "It does seem to be my life in danger."

"Yes, well it does make more sense for everyone to be aware of what is going on." He said, trying to take back command.

"Your abductor, while under great duress, told us his name and where his coven was located. I used my contacts to find out who the other members are, and thankfully there are only two others that had been with him. His name was James and he was the sire of both his mate Victoria and a companion, Laurent. It seems Victoria has connections with Volterra." He finished.

"Ok, so that must be why he was able to get through your powers, his little chippy must have made some calls to get him protection. Were you able to find out why he wanted me?" I asked.

"That seems to be the million dollar question darlin'. We worked on him for a while, but he never gave that information up." Jasper said.

"So what do we do now? Should we try and find the rest of his coven and take them out? You gotta know that when this Vicky chick finds out we offed her mate, she is gonna want some payback." Emmett said. You could tell he was craving a good fight.

"Well, I do think it might be better to be proactive and not just wait for her to find out and come after us. I wish we knew what he wanted with you Bella." Carlisle stated. You could almost see the gears turning in his head.

"So, how far away are they? Should we just bust in there and take them down?" I asked, punching my cast covered fist into my palm. I was trying to look bad ass, but only ended up hurting my hand.

"Hold on there Lara Croft, what do you mean 'we'? You are totes a liability. Plus they would be able to smell you coming a mile away." Rosalie said.

"Hey, I can help. I can't just sit here on my ass and wait for them to come and get me. I have to DO something!" I said, my voice raising as I got worked up. I hated feeling useless, and in a house full of immortal and indestructible creatures, I was useless.

"Calm down Bella. I am able to see things a bit cleared now. I think that whatever protection James was using was limited only to himself and not his coven." Alice said, her eyes glazing over as she looked into the future.

"Yep, things should work out fine. Oh and Bella, your new lingerie is on its way and we will have to order some more soon. It seems Edward is going to have some control issues when it comes to thongs." She said, giggling.

My face must have resembled a tomato and Edward only hung his head and groaned as Emmett's boisterous laughter filled the room. I would have much rather found that out through experimentation, damn psychic.

Edward pulled me up from the couch and we headed into the kitchen to fix me something to eat. Just as I was about to take my first bite of mushroom ravioli, Alice shrieked from the other room. Edward was on his feet and out of the room before I could put down my fork.

"What is it? What's going on?" I asked as I joined them. Alice was quietly sobbing as Jasper tried to console her and Edward looked as if he were in pain. I put my hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles over his stone muscles.

"What are we going to do Edward?" Alice cried, fisting her tiny hands in his shirt. He was silent, staring at some point over her head.

"Son please, what is going on? What did Alice see?" Carlisle asked.

"They're coming." He said, his voice monotone and lifeless.

"Who's coming?" I whispered, cowering into Edward's side.

"The Volturi. And whoever it is that can block our powers is teasing us by only letting certain information through." Alice said, finally releasing Edward from her grasp.

"What information? What did you see?" I demanded.

"No!" Edward yelled suddenly, scaring the shit out of me.

They started speaking faster than I could understand and I knew that whatever Alice and Edward saw must not be good. Finally Edward turned back to me with a huff. "Fine Alice, go ahead. I can see nothing good coming from this."

I looked at Alice, waiting for clarification. "I saw them coming, a huge group of them. And it will not be a fair fight. They have many gifted vampires with them. I saw us all incapacitated as they walked right past us and took you. They killed you right in front of us." She said, starting to weep again as she finished.

I could understand why Edward would want to keep this from me. There seemed to be no way to change Alice's vision. If they were able to cripple these indestructible creatures, what hope did I have against them? I was starting to wonder how much drama one person could be expected to deal with. I had to be hitting my limit soon.

A/N: So, sorry no EPOV for this chapter. RL is kicking my ass and I figured you would rather have me keep my update schedule of Sunday/Wednesday than get an EPOV for an all plot chapter. Although, you never know, I may get inspired if my inbox gets flooded with reviews :)

Now go read:

Love in my Box

by:

Cosmoandmarvar

Emailing fun with an awkward Edward and sassy Bella!


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Dalloway5906, you rock my socks with your lightning-fast beta skills! More at the bottom!

Chapter 16

BPOV

I was having a very hard time dealing with Alice's vision of my death. Obviously. I had just found Edward, and now I was going to lose him. What kind of cruel joke was that? I know I have not always respected karma, but come on.

Alice was still sobbing tearlessly into her hands. I could not imagine how hard it must be to witness her entire family being incapacitated and then being forced to watch as they killed me. I still did not understand why they were going to kill me. The contract said that I had a month with the Cullens before I would be forcibly returned. Why would they not respect their own contract? What had changed?

Everyone was still standing frozen around the room. I could feel the tension radiating off of Edward. I was worried what he was going to do. He had also been forced to watch my death through Alice's thoughts. I know seeing Edward being killed would fuck me up something awful. I stepped forward, trying to think of something to say to diffuse the situation.

"Well….." was as far as I got before Edward lunged towards me and threw me over his shoulder. I barely noticed that we had gone out the front door and were speeding through the woods. Where did he think he was taking me? The Volturi obviously had many powerful vampires in their midst, I am sure they had one that could find us. And if I was going to be sentenced to my own death, there was no way I was letting them get Edward too.

"Stop Edward, put me down." I yelled as I gently pounded on his back. This position was very reminiscent of how Blondie kidnapped me just the day before. Except this time I trusted my abductor to keep me safe. I knew he was just reacting to the threat against me, and running was the only thing he thought he could do.

I started to struggle in his grip, and he stopped immediately and lowered me to the ground. His eyes were wild and black with bruise like smudges under them. I wondered if a vampire could have a breakdown, because that is what it looked like was happening to him. He was staring down at me, his hands gripping my upper arms tightly.

"I won't let them have you. You are mine. I just found you. I have waited nearly a century for you. Please…. you can't take her." He breathed, his chin dropping to his chest. I wish I had some vampire Valium or something, he was really losing it.

"Edward, we will figure something out. But running is not the option. If they found out that we tried to run, they will come for your family and then us. I would never forgive myself if something happened to any of them." I said calmly, as if speaking to a child.

He was nearly catatonic, his head down still griping my arms. "Edward, snap out of it!" I yelled, wishing I had a hand free so I could smack him in the face like Cher did to Nic Cage in 'Moonstruck.' _Great now I am referencing a movie that was made four years before I was even born!_

My words must have done the trick, because his head whipped up at the same time his hands released me. "I'm so sorry Bella. I did not hurt you did I?" He whispered.

"No Edward, I'm fine. We need to go back and see if we can get any more info out of Alice." I said as I turned back in the direction we came. "Where are we?" I asked as I finally noticed the snow that was covering the ground.

"Um, Canada." He admitted sheepishly.

"Canada?! You ran us all the way to Canada?" I exclaimed. Well at least now I could say I had been out of the country before I died.

"Yes, I'm so sorry. I was upset." He said, coming over to wrap his arms around my waist. "Forgive me?"

How could I not when he looked at me like a lost puppy dog? "Of course Edward, you are forgiven. But let's head back so we can figure some things out." I suggested.

He ducked his head, searching for a kiss. I went along willingly, meeting his lips with my own. My breath caught as he parted my lips with his tongue and attacked my mouth. I could almost taste his desperation as he relived Alice's vision again. His grip on my waist was almost painful, but I ignored it as I pushed up onto my toes, trying to get closer to him.

His hands left my waist to move to the hem of my shirt, sliding his hands up underneath to reach my bare skin. I shivered violently as the cold air hit my skin, and his cool hands covered my breasts.

"I love knowing what is underneath your clothes. I think I should pick out your underwear from now on." He sighed into my ear as his hand reached around to the closure of my bra. He struggled with the clasp for a minute, before he got impatient and tore it apart. His hands moved forward again to cup my breasts, pushing my shirt and the ruined bra up around my neck. It was very uncomfortable, being choked by my own clothes. I pulled away for a second to yank them over my head. His eyes were glued to my chest while I attacked the buttons of his shirt one handed. I was sporting some super hard nips, what with the cold and the intensity of his gaze. He brushed his thumb over one pink tip before leaning down and clamping his mouth over it. My flesh was so cold that his tongue was actually warm against my freezing skin.

I moaned embarrassingly loud as I gave up fighting with his buttons and just wrapped my hands around his neck. His tongue moved from one side to the other, driving me crazy as his warm mouth left one nipple wet and chilled in the open air. I was writhing against him, trying to climb onto him. I had succeeded in getting one thigh over his hip when he suddenly stopped.

"No, no, no. Go away." He growled from his spot between my breasts.

He hesitated for a second before continuing. "I swear to God Emmett, if you don't turn around right now I will kill you myself. I am talking limb ripping, headless body stomping death."

I shrieked as I realized that Edward was hearing Emmett's thoughts, which meant he was pretty close to us. And I was pretty topless. Ugh, Emmett is so at the top of my shit list.

"Don't you mean 'swear to monkeys' Edward?" Emmett yelled as he approached through the trees.

Edward quickly took off his shirt and wrapped it around me, hiding my nudity. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the twin points poking through the shirt.

"Ali sent me to make sure you were ok. She said her visions were going haywire cause you could not make up your mind. Although I don't think this was one of the possible outcomes she saw." He said with a grin as he finally emerged from the trees.

"Shut it Emmett. How about next time you and Rosalie are going at it, I cockblock you and see how you like it." I said with a foot stomp.

"Hey kid, you do whatever you need to. Just a warning though, Rosie would probably like the attention." He smirked, as I tried to swallow back vomit.

"Emmett, was that all you needed? " Edward asked as he stooped to pick up my clothes from the ground.

"Uh, no E. Alice's vision has changed. Something freaky. She wanted you to see it."

Edward huffed as he turned to me and slung me onto him like a backpack. "Hold on precious girl."

I closed my eyes as he took off running. He was faster and more graceful than Emmett, who just ran over trees instead of going around them. I could barely see the trees as he ran, but was able to feel the change in temperatures as we got closer to Forks. Edward turned his head to me so I could hear him.

"I am going to run you straight up to my room so you can get changed."

"Thanks. No point in anyone else getting a peek at the goods." I laughed in his ear as I tightened my hold on his neck.

We did not pass anyone as he ran me up the stairs, finally putting me down as we got to his room.

"Esme was going to bring all of your things in here so it would be easier for us. She also brought the bed in from the spare room for us…er, you to use." He said, nervously running his hand through his hair.

"Does everyone know that we are… you know, doing it?" I asked, flushing bright red.

"Ugh, yeah I think so." He admitted, just as embarrassed as I was.

"Hey kids, if you can't talk about it, you shouldn't be doing it." Rosalie yelled from the floor above.

"Shut it Rose, before I toss your favorite part of Emmett into the Pacific." Edward said with a smirk.

I started to unbutton his shirt, but soon realized that it was not an easy task to do one handed.

"Could you please help me?" I asked shyly.

"Edward, just unbutton the damn shirt and get down here. Don't do anything else or we won't see you till this evening!" Alice chimed from the lower floor.

We both growled as he swiftly unbuttoned the shirt and leaned down to kiss me.

"I really like the way you look in my shirts." He said, rubbing his hands over my bare waist.

"And I like the way you look shirtless." I smirked.

"Edward, now!" Alice yelled.

"I hate that stupid pixie. I really think I could take her down." I whispered.

"I heard that Bella. You would just end up with another broken bone and then Edward would be pissed at me." Alice said.

"Sounds about right." I said as I dropped the shirt off my shoulders and headed into the bathroom.

"Go down Edward, but make sure to come back really soon." I moaned as I slid out of my pants, leaving me only in the cheeky boy shorts Edward had picked out for me that morning.

"Edward, now!"

Edward growled as he turned and left the room, leaving a handprint in the molding around the door. _Remind me never to get him angry._

I washed up in the sink and returned to the room to find something else to wear. My clothes still had not arrived, so I grabbed a soft blue t-shirt from Edward's drawer and slipped on a pair of jeans that were too long. I rolled up the hem and slipped my feet into a pair of warm socks. I was just getting ready to head down and find Edward when I was hit with an intense wave of fatigue. I made it to the bed just in time to collapse.

A/N: Please, please, please... before I get tons of questions. No there will be no half-vamp baby in this story. Thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, even though I did not promise an EPOV. But if you did review you got one anyway. I have a little one planned if you review this chapter, but a change is coming in the next chapter. Better hold onto your boots!


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: So as of Tuesday night I was only 2 reviews away from 200! Amazing! I am in awe of those of you who take the time to send me your thoughts. You have no idea how it feels to have those reviews show up in my inbox. Dalloway5906 rocks my world once again. Only she would know the correct spelling of 'bumfuck'!

Chapter 17

BPOV

I was unable to bring myself out of the fog. It was like trying to swim through sand, struggling but never making any progress. If this was Jasper trying to keep me quiet while they made plans on how to deal with what Alice saw, people were going to get hurt. It was bad enough Edward was still trying to have silent conversations around me, I was not going to be treated like an infant while they dealt with what could possibly be my death.

I was still clueless as to why Edward did not just change me into a vampire already. I understand the general principle of how it happened, and I understood his reluctance to 'kill' me. But, given the choice between dying a painful death while his entire family was forced to watch, or becoming an all powerful immortal being, it was not a hard decision. Edward said Alice had some glimpses of me as a vampire, but they were fleeting and he was not willing to trust them. Well, the vision of me being brutally murdered was not fleeting, so he needed to trust something soon.

I was able to hear some voices through the fog, but I was not able to identify them immediately.

"Yes, I have her. We are trying to keep her under, but she is fighting it. No, I have no idea why Alec's powers are working when Jane's did nothing. No, I did not have a taste! I prefer my head on my body. You know Aro would not hesitate to pull me limb from limb if I damaged her. No, I think we escaped without arising suspicion. Yes, we should be arriving within the hour."

Well, that answered my question about what was going on. Shit, how did they manage to get me? I had the worst possible luck. What did he mean, I was fighting something? I tried to concentrate on forcing myself out of the fog, but just as I would start to rise above it, I would be forced under again.

"Man, what is your problem?"

"It is incredibly tiring trying to keep her under. Aro was right, she has amazing power for a human. She will be unstoppable when she is changed."

So, my efforts were doing something. Just not enough.

EPOV

I hated leaving Bella, but I really needed some time to see what changes Alice saw in her vision. She jumped into my head as soon as I was down the steps.

_She is a vampire in my vision Edward. _

"What!" I screamed, shattering the glass candle holders that sat on the table.

Alice replayed her vision for me instead of explaining.

_We were in our meadow. My entire family was forming a half circle at the far end of the field as a sea of red flowed around us. I could see the figures emerging from the trees, a beautiful brunette leading the pack. She was beautiful, her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses. The sun was high in the sky, and I could tell by the sparkles reflecting off her skin, she had no true use for the glasses. _

_Aro stood behind the girl, his hand tensed on her shoulder. _

"_Well Mr. Cullen. It seems we meet again. I am so sorry that I was forced to break our contract, but there were some…. complications." He said._

"_What is going on? Where is Bella?" I demanded._

"_Well, she is here son. Don't you recognize her?" He said, gesturing to the girl in the lead._

_I stood, unmoving as the girl took off her glasses and I saw her blood red eyes. She showed no signs of recognition as I started to slowly approach her._

"_Precious girl, it's me. Edward. Why don't you come over here with us." I said softly, pain radiating through me as I started at her unfocused eyes._

"_Oh, I'm sorry son, I should have told you. She had an…. accident during her change. We were trying to test her shield's power and dear Jane here zapped her stronger than we thought. She is just a little….off now. So sorry, I know she was some what of a pet of yours." Aro finished, with no sign of remorse._

_I dropped to my knees as pain radiated through my body. I was vaguely aware of a small blonde vampire standing off to the side as tremors wracked through me. I prayed for death as I watched Bella stare at me as I writhed in pain._

I was jolted out of the vision as Alice suddenly started to sob into Jasper's chest. I managed to make it outside before I collapsed on the porch, dry heaving. I recognized Esme's approach, rubbing soothing circles over my back.

"I have to get her out of here. Maybe if I go to Alaska with her I can change her myself before they can get her." I whispered.

"Go Edward. You have to do everything you can to keep her safe." Esme soothed.

I got to my feet and ran up the stairs, pausing at the door to calm myself. I needed to make sure I would not scare her. I cracked open the door, expecting to find her asleep on our bed, but the room was empty. The window was open and the wind brought her smell with it. There was another scent on the breeze, and it caused my muscles to seize with terror. Another vampire had been in the house. The room was empty. Bella was gone.

BPOV

I had been fighting harder to get to the surface of the darkness. As soon as I would feel my limbs free, the wave hit me again, forcing me under.

"Stop it. Just stop." I heard someone say, with a swift kick to my abdomen.

The pain was excruciating and I was unable to breath through the pain. Vampires don't know their own strength sometimes. I would not be surprised if I had internal bleeding. I let the fog take me back under as I caught my breath. But I needed to find out how I was controlling this if I had any chance of escaping. I could only pray that Edward and his family stayed far away from wherever they were taking me. They would be outnumbered, and it was obvious that these people had some serious gifts.

The movement of the vehicle stopped and I could feel someone lifting my body. Whoever was in charge of transporting me did not give a shit about my comfort or safety as they repeatedly hit my head and cast against walls and doorways.

"Demetri, what are you doing? You can't be injuring her like that. Aro will rip you a new one if he finds out you hurt her." A female voice said.

"Shit Heidi, he sends me all the way to some bumfuck town to get her, he can't be upset if she has some bumps and bruises when he gets her back. I'll just tell him it was a rough trip." He said, as he rammed my head into another wall.

"Enough! Let's just get her to him so I can take a break. It is taking all my concentration to keep her under." Came another male voice, the same one that was whining like a bitch in the car.

"Ah, there she is. Thank you Demetri, Alec for your service. Alec, you can release her now." The voice I recognized as Aro's said.

Suddenly the darkness faded and I was able to see and move. I was slumped on a marble floor in a great hall. The walls looked to be made from the same stone as was the domed ceiling. Where in the world were we? It looked like something you would find in Italy.

"Ah, Isabella. So nice of you to join us. I apologize, I had hoped we could have met again under different circumstances. Things have transpired that have forced my hand. I'm sure you understand." Aro said, moving towards me. He was dressed in all black, his suit immaculate. I felt a chill run down my spine, remembering the last time I was in his presence.

I moved quickly to my feet, trying not to let my fear show. "Yes Aro, it seems like the only time I see you is when I am forced against my will."

He threw his head back and laughed, causing my stomach to tighten painfully. This was not someone to play with.

"Isabella, you are so humorous. Now please, come and sit so we can get better acquainted." He said, gesturing to a pair of chairs.

I cautiously approached and sat down, trying to keep my eyes on everyone in the room. There were seven vampires in the room, including Aro. I recognized Demetri as the bastard who originally kidnapped me and Heidi, the bitch that so kindly got me dressed before my appearance on the auction block. I noticed Felix, the messenger who brought Edward the contract. There was also a pair of shorter vampires, a girl and boy. They oriented themselves together, standing behind Aro. Lastly was a flaming red-head who was leaning against the far wall, twirling her long curls around her finger.

Aro joined me and turning to me, suddenly grabbed my hand between his. He bowed over our joined hands, as if in prayer. I could feel a tremor run through him as his head shot up, his maroon eyes searching my face.

"Interesting." He said as he released my hands. "Jane dear, you said you were unable to do any damage?"

"Yes Master." The short blonde female said grudgingly. _Well shit dear, so sorry._

"Very interesting. Alec, you were successful weren't you?" Aro asked, as the other diminutive vampire walked forward.

"Yes sir. It was difficult, she kept fighting me. But I was able to subdue her." He said.

"Show me."

And then it was darkness again. I could hear much clearly this time, but my limbs were unresponsive and I was unable to open my eyes.

"Fight Isabella. Fight your way out and I might leave the Cullens alone. But if you don't pass this test, I will be forced to destroy them. Would you like me to describe all of the wonderful things I can do to them?" Aro whispered in my ear.

I was struggling against the fog Alec had put me under, but it was hard when Aro the asshole was blathering in my ear. No of course I don't want my new family to face destruction. I would rather die myself then see any harm come to them.

"You're not fighting hard enough Isabella. How would you like it if I slowly peeled the skin off of your beloved Esme? Or if I pulled each individual hair out of Emmett's body? And we can't forget about Edward. I think he may hold a special place in your heart, which means I would have to find something truly disturbing to so to him." His voice taunted in my head.

The darkness was slowly receding, allowing me glimpsed of light and feeling to return to my hands and feet. But just when I thought I got ahead of it, Aro disrupted my concentration again.

"I think I'll start by taunting him with my thoughts of how you look right now. That should get him all riled up. Then I'll have him held down as I pull his finger and toe nails out. Then I'll let my friend Jane play with him for a while. You have not gotten the pleasure to see just how good Jane is at her job. It is a sight to behold as she makes every nerve ending in your body spasm at once, jerking your body around like you're having a seizure. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on your face when you watch that happen!"

Suddenly my mind split from my body. I felt as if there were two of me now. The one who was still slumping in the chair, covered in darkness. And the one who had charged Aro, slamming his chair to the ground and straddling his chest as my forearm pressed against his throat. Was I suffering from multiple personality disorder? Who cares, I was just going to go along for the ride.

"You will leave Edward and his family alone." The bossy and powerful me said.

"Oh goody, you did it!" Aro exclaimed, easily tossing me off him and onto the floor.

"Now Isabella, we just need to have you learn how better to control your power and then we can start your change. I think I will handle that part myself." He said, licking his lips.

_A/N: I hope you don't mind the different POV's here. The next few chapters will be like this, so no EPOV outtakes for reviewing. You do get a little happy dance from me when I see your review._

No go read: Disappear Here by h32mh32m. Dalloway5906 has been trying to get me to read it for a while. She was right, it is awesome!


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Not Mine**

**A/N: Thanks you so much for those of you who take the time to review. I made it over the 200 review mark!! Really exciting chapter, my favorite so far! Dalloway5906 owns my ass, as always!**

Chapter 18

**EPOV**

No, no. She is not gone. She is here somewhere. Maybe in the bathroom? No. Could she have gone outside to take a walk? No. Could this all be a bad dream and when I wake up she will be lying next to me? No.

My entire family appeared in the door way and Carlisle was the first to approach.

"What is going on Edward? Stop yelling."

Funny, I had no idea I had been yelling. The silence was deafening when I finally stopped.

"Alice, please tell me you can see something. Where is she?" I cried, my voice hoarse.

"Edward, they are blocking me. I can't see anything." She said, folding herself into Jasper's side.

"I have to go. I have to find her." I said as my feet carried me towards the door. Emmett moved to block it before I could get through.

"No brother. We need to come up with a plan before you just go storming in there. Alice can't see, you can't hear, you can't go in there blind."

He made perfect sense, but I can't just sit here and wait. She is my life. Don't they understand that she is my life?

"Of course we do Edward. But it could get both of you destroyed if you go out there half-cocked." Carlisle says. Apparently I was speaking out loud. Can vampires have nervous breakdowns?

"Jasper and I will try and follow her trail and see where they have taken her. The girls can do some more digging to see if they can find out where she is." Emmett suggested.

"Look for any additional properties that Volterra own. That should narrow down where they have taken her. It would be somewhere secluded. If they are going to change her, they will want to be somewhere where no one can hear her screams." Jasper said casually, as if he were discussing the weather. I was across the room with him pinned against the wall before I even realized I had moved.

"Her screams? How can you be so indifferent? Would you be acting like this if it were Alice? I love her!" I screamed in his face.

"I know you do Edward. That is why someone needs to stay calm. We need to be realistic. If we don't get to her soon, we may be too late." He said, trying to sooth me.

I released him and he and Emmett sprinted out the door. Alice and Rose headed to Carlisle's office to start digging for information. Esme and Carlisle stood watching me as I sunk to my knees as the thought of being too late to save her finally registered.

"You have to promise me that if she dies, you will destroy me." I whispered, knowing they would be able to hear me. Esme sobbed quietly as Carlisle shook his head.

"I can't do that son."

"You must. Could you go on if something happened to Esme? Would you want to?" I asked, the mere though of a life without Bella caused my voice to tremble. I did not wait for a response. I vaulted to my feet and ran out of the room, away from the sympathetic thoughts of my family.

**BPOV**

I was waiting for my equilibrium to settle. I was still feeling like two different people. The weak girl slumped in the chair, and the powerful one who had fought through Alec's hold. I knew if I was going to be able to harness whatever gift I had, I needed to find a way to bring the two together.

Aro was still blathering on about how wonderful it was that I had been able to get out of Alec's hold. I ignored him and the nasty looks Alec was giving me. I was more worried about Aro's comment about changing me. I was not scared to become a vampire. I was worried about why he wanted me as a vampire so badly?

The red-headed chick pushed off the wall and over towards me. Demetri moved to intercept her, but she pushed him aside with ease and he skidded across the stone floor.

"You are the reason my James is dead!" She screamed, as she spit venom into my face. Suddenly the two different parts of me were merged and I felt complete as I slowly stood to confront her.

"Your James kidnapped and tried to kill me. He got exactly what he deserved." I said quietly, my body vibrating with repressed rage. What was her problem?

"Uncle Aro, are you going to let her talk to me this way?" She yelled, turning to him. Ah, Uncle Aro. Things were starting to make more sense.

"Victoria, I only allowed you here because you are family. Isabella is the key to our future. She is more important than you are. Please don't try my patience." He said coolly, glaring at her.

She moved back to the wall, her eyes never leaving my face. I could feel the hate pouring off of her, but I am sure I would feel the same if she had killed my Edward.

"So are you the reason that it was so easy for him to get past the Cullens?" I said, looking at Aro.

"Yes, I apologize. I have a very hard time saying no to Victoria. She only told me that her mate was having a difficult time procuring an object that he wanted. I had no reason to doubt her, I simply gave her what she needed." He said, lounging in one of the chairs.

"And what exactly is that?" I asked, trying to get some information out of him.

"Ah, ah, ah dear Isabella. I can't tell you all of my secrets." He teased. "Bring in Chelsea and Afton." He yelled.

_Ok, so now more vamps are coming. Great._

The pair entered from the doors to my left. They were wrapped around each other, both breathtaking in their beauty. Chelsea could have rivaled Rosalie in the looks department and Afton was no stick in the eye either.

"Tell me darling, what do you see?" Aro asked Chelsea.

"It is difficult to tell without the other one here, but it seems that they are truly mated. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for him with her being _human_." She said, disgust thick in her voice.

"That is what I suspected. What a wonderful turn of events that he would bid on a human and it ends up being his mate! Fabulous." Aro exclaimed, clapping his hands. I was really getting tired of his endless enthusiasm.

"And Afton, what of you? Will your gifts work on our little shield here?" He laughed.

"I'm not sure. Jane, will you help me?" He said, gesturing to the small blonde vampire. She looked ecstatic to be able to attempt to inflict her vengeful wrath upon me.

They stood in front of me as I tried to brace myself for whatever attack was coming. I stood motionless, staring into the hateful crimson eyes of both vampires. Suddenly I could feel waves pushing against me. It was as if I was standing at the edge of the ocean, and the surf was trying to force me back to the sand. I stood my ground, forcing my face to remain impassive. Thoughts of Edward raced through my mind, his calm butterscotch and black eyes anchoring me. Jane's mouth opened in a hiss and I turned all my attention to her. I knew that she was trying to hurt me, and that she would hurt Edward and his family if given the chance.

"Wonderful!" Aro shouted, breaking the concentration of both vampires. Their gazes dropped from mine, and I finally relaxed, slumping to the marble floor as exhaustion overtook me. I looked up at Alec to see if he causing this heavy fatigue, but he seemed distracted with the hissy fit Jane was throwing. She was stomping her feet like a two year old and I was waiting for Aro to send her to the time out chair. I could even picture the conversation.

"_Now Jane, that is not how nice vampires act. If you keep acting like this I will sell you to the next group of traveling gypsies that come around."_

Laughter bubbled out of my chest as I dropped my head to my hands. What was wrong with me?

"Ah, apologies Isabella. I keep forgetting that you are human. Felix, please show Isabella to her chamber so she may rest. Don't worry dear, no one will disturb you." Aro said, and I was sure that if he told the others to leave me alone, they would. He meant business.

As I followed Felix down the hall, I was overcome with a sense of dread. How was I going to relay the information I had to Edward?

**EPOV**

I stopped running and found myself in the same spot Bella and I had been just a few short hours ago. How could our lives have changed so quickly? I knew I needed to hunt if I was going to have the energy to bring Bella back. I quickly took down two large elk, the thick blood bitter on my tongue. I could feel a difference immediately and searched for one more, gorging myself until my skin felt warm and my stomach was sloshing as I walked.

I needed a plan. I could not wait and twiddle my thumbs while the rest of my family tried to find her. Jasper had already given me most of the information regarding property owned by Volterra. If I took his advice and looked for a location away from civilization, I might be able to track her down myself. I knew that going in alone was a risk, but if I could get close enough, I might be able to pick up some information.

I ran back to the house, only pausing at the garage to grab the keys to my Vanquish. I ignored the questioning thoughts of my family as I drove down the driveway. I set out towards Possession, a small town on Puget Sound. It was one of the only properties the Volturi owned that was completely isolated. It should have taken me nearly four hours to get from Forks to Possession, but between the horsepower of the Vanquish and the ability to hear a police officer from miles away, I made it in just under three.

The house was huge, reminiscent of the great fortresses that littered the Italian countryside. I parked the car miles from the house, trying to stay downwind so I did not alert them to my presence. My plan was to get as close as I could without arising suspicion. The first floor windows were high, well above my head. I could pick up snippets of thoughts from inside, but for the most part they were blocked. Luckily there were several large trees surrounding the house, and I was able to scale one quickly and look into one of the windows.

The room beyond the window was huge. The walls were dark wood, and a large table dominated the room. There were several vampires milling around, most of whom I recognized from the auction. Aro was there, discussing something with a red-headed woman, whose face was contorted into a scowl.

"Victoria, this is really all your own doing. If you had just told me what James was after, I would have explained my plans. Now you have made me proceed faster than I wanted. Now I am not sure if I will be able to harness Isabella's powers before I am forced to change her." Aro said.

"But Uncle Aro, how can you let her live after the things her mate and his family did to my James?" Victoria pouted.

"I need her darling. That is all I am able to tell you. Have you not heard the rumors flying around here? Our hold in the Northwest is being threatened, and that girl holds the key to our success." He explained, rubbing soothing circles on her back. I understood her hatred. If she had done to Bella what I did to her mate, I would want revenge as well.

"Can I at least have some fun with her before you change her? I promise I will not cause too much damage." She said, her face alight with vicious glee.

"I don't see the harm. Why not take Corin with you. I would like to see if she is able to break Isabella's shield. Remember, she is not to be killed." He warned.

Victoria clapped her hands in excitement and ran from the room in search of Corin. I could see the thoughts of the other vampires in the room, all thinking of Corin's gift with dread. None of them had ever seen her gift used first hand, but they were all petrified. I dropped out of the tree and opened all of my senses, searching for Bella.

**BPOV**

The room Felix escorted me to was large and comfortable. It sported a huge canopy bed with fluffy white bedding. There was an attached bath with a shower that gave the one at the Cullens a run for its money. Of course, since there was no plastic bag to cover my cast, I was not able to shower. I splashed water on my face and tugged at my clothes, hoping to pull the wrinkles out.

A knock startled me, and I left the bathroom and walked cautiously to the door.

"Who is it?" I yelled, always forgetting about vampire super hearing.

"It's Heidi. Aro asked me to bring you something to eat." She called through the heavy wood.

I opened the door and peered out. It was indeed Heidi, carrying a tray covered by a silver dome. What did they think this was, room service? She brushed past me and set the food on the nightstand, removing the lid with a flourish. On the tray sat a sad looking hamburger and a cardboard box of soggy fries.

"McDonalds? Someone went out and got me McDonalds?" I could not keep the shock out of my voice.

"Yes, well the kitchen here is obviously not stocked for a _human_. And Aro was adamant that you be fed. You should thank Demetri. He had to drive well over an hour to get you this…. slop." She said with a sneer as she turned and sauntered out the door.

Yeah, I couldn't really see me thanking Demetri any time soon. I dug into the cold sandwich and fries, wishing it was Edward's fried chicken instead. Tears blurred my vision and dropped off my nose onto the wrapper. I missed him so much, it felt like there was a hole in my chest. I gave an unladylike snort and wiped the snot running out of my nose on my sleeve.

I finished the food and tossed the wrappers in the trash. I paced the room, too anxious to sleep. I wish I had some way to practice using my shield. Aro said I needed to be able to harness its power before he could turn me, but I had no idea what that meant. As I made my way back across the room, the door flew open. Victoria was blocking the opening, but I could tell that there was someone standing behind her. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl as she walked into the room.

There, standing in the door was a tall, thin woman. Her eyes were the color of lavender and her skin was so pale it looked translucent. I had no idea if she was a vampire or a human. I opened my mouth to speak, but was stopped as a pain unlike anything I have ever felt shot through my chest. It felt like my heart was trying to dig its way free. I could not hear anything but the sound of ringing bells. It was not until the pain subsided that I realized that it was not ringing I had been hearing, but my own inhuman screams.

"Well, it looks like she can't block you Corin. Let's play!"

**A/N: WOW! So, I am taking some liberties with the canon Volturi's powers. I have TwilightWiki bookmarked, and I am trying to stay as true to the series as possible. No bribes for reviews, but each review makes me feel like I got a full night's sleep, which with 6 month old twins, is a rare occurrence in my house! Come on and review and make me feel well rested! :)**


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Not Mine

A/N: We have a transitional chapter here. Not too much going on, but it is very important for what is coming up next. Check out my profile, I started a new story called 'Bidding on Destiny' which will have select chapters of Silent Auction from Edward's POV. For those of you who have reviewed each chapter, you have already received them, but they really give some insight into Edward. I will also be posting some outtakes as we keep moving along.

Thank you to Dalloway5906, who will be posting a story of her own soon. And I will not stop bugging her until she does!

Chapter 19

EPOV

Bella's screams were all I could hear. I had been sneaking around the building, trying to find Bella's scent. I was very close, almost under her window when the screaming started. Thankfully there was a tree growing tall outside of the window, and I vaulted up into the branch adjacent to the glass. I could see Bella writhing in pain on the floor, her mouth open, her hands clawing at her chest. There was a tall woman standing in the doorway, looking with disgust at Bella's prone form. I could also see Victoria standing near the bed, the look of victory on her face made my stomach turn. It was killing me, listening to Bella's obvious pain, but I knew if I went in there alone, we would never get out. I would be destroyed and Aro would continue with whatever he had planned for Bella.

Bella finally stopped screaming, dropping her hands limply to her chest. Her heart rate was sky high, and she was barely breathing.

"Well, it looks like she can't block you Corin. Let's play!" Victoria sneered.

Bella had started to crawl backwards, towards the window.

"No, please. You can't do that again. It will kill me to feel that again." Bella begged, her voice scratchy and hoarse from screaming.

The woman in the doorway was silent, but her thoughts were anything but.

_Kill you? Yes indeed, I think it might. I always like it when their greatest fear is heartbreak. The spiders and snakes are so boring. But when I get someone like you, when I get to make you feel the physical pain of your own heart breaking… that makes it all worth it. Feel my pain. Feel how I felt when he was taken from me. _

She approached Bella, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Bella's spine arched off the floor, her face contorting in pain. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, and my entire body shook from the effort of staying where I was in the tree. I could hear the uneven beating of her heart, and knew that if she were to be forced to endure much more of this torture it would indeed kill her.

Thankfully, Bella's earlier scream had attracted attention, and I could hear Aro's thoughts as he approached the room.

_Apparently Corin is able to penetrate her shield. Perhaps it is because Corin's gift is more emotional than physical. I'll have to see if Heidi's empath abilities will work on our dear Isabella. _

Aro glared at Victoria as he pushed past the woman torturing Bella.

"What did I say? I told you she could not be killed. Do you not hear her heart? It is ready to collapse. Then what will we do? You act like a child sometimes." He said, pointing an angry finger in Victoria's face.

"Corin, if you would please release her." He said, gesturing to Bella's pain wracked body.

"Of course Aro, my apologies to you. Victoria never said anything about not killing the human." Corin said, her voice soft and raspy.

"No worries darling, Victoria was just trying to see how far she could push me. You may go now." He said as he escorted her out and closed the door.

Bella was curled in a ball on the floor, silent sobs shaking her body as tears trailed down her cheeks. Aro approached her like you would a wounded animal.

"Isabella, it seems I have to apologize again. I never thought Corin's gift would work so well on you. She does get a bit excited when she finds a kindred spirit. I hope she did not cause you too much pain." He whispered, as he stroked a hand down her hair.

I could almost hear my teeth crushing under the force as I clenched my jaw in disgust. I should rip his hand off for touching my Bella. She barely acknowledged his presence, and only moaned slightly as he lifted her off the floor and deposited her gently on the bed. Victoria was still leaning on the wall, her face expressionless towards the pain Bella was feeling. I was still clueless as to how Corin's gift worked. I could assume from her thoughts that she was able to harness a person's deepest fear and project it onto them.

"If you think I am going to apologize, you must be out of your mind. She needs to be punished for what her mate did to me. I just wish she could feel that pain all the time, like I do." Victoria cried.

"Do you truly think that the pitiful feelings you are having concerning your loss of James are anything like the pain she was experiencing? Her greatest fear is losing her mate. Your greatest fear is not being able to find the perfect shoes to match an outfit. Your connection to James was superficial. Isabella's connection to that _Cullen_ is exponentially more intense. I have never seen someone affected by Corin like that. The only thing I can compare it to would be the last time I read Marcus' thoughts. To lose your one true mate is like experiencing your own death over and over." He said, vehemently.

My dead heart broke for the pain Bella had been put through. I wished there was a way I could let her know I was here. Tell her that our family was doing everything they could to try and find a way to help her. If only Jasper could have been here to send her the love I knew she needed to feel. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I swiftly jumped to the ground so I could answer it without alerting anyone to my presence.

"You should have waited." Alice said quickly, without even a 'hello.'

"You should have known I would not. There are no words for the kinds of torture they are inflicting on her. Have you been able to see anything?" I whispered.

"There are bits and pieces coming through. I think that since they have her within their walls they are getting sloppy trying to keep me out. Have you been able to hear anything?" She asked.

"Yes actually. I have been able to hear most everything. I don't think they thought anyone would be stupid enough to get so close. Have you come up with a plan yet?" I questioned.

"Jasper and Emmett returned just a little while ago. They were able to track Bella through Port Townsend, but lost them as they went over the water. Jasper thinks that they will try and change her sooner rather than later. Have you heard any plans?"

"Not really. I am hoping they will let Bella rest so I can try and get close to her. She might know something." I said. I knew it would be a big risk, but I had to touch her. Reassure her that I would find some way to get her to safety.

"I can't see anything drastic changing in the near future. You should be able to get in quickly, but you can't risk taking her with you. Felix is an unparalleled tracker, and he would be able to find her anywhere on the earth. I do see that ending very badly, for both of you." She said quietly.

"I'll call you after I speak to her. Let me know if you see anything changing. Tell everyone thank you for everything they are doing to help." I whispered.

"Oh Edward, you know we all love Bella. We would do anything to try and keep her safe. You should know that I am not able to find a future without her being one of us. Just try and accept that she will be changed. I can't tell you who will change her."

I said a quick 'thank you' and put my phone back in my pocket. I could hear Aro's thoughts concerning Victoria's vindictive attitude towards Bella. He was concerned for Bella's safety, as was I. Victoria's thoughts were vicious, wanting to show Bella just what kind of pain losing a mate really felt like. Aro was going to have to put a guard at Bella's door in order to keep her safe.

Aro grabbed Victoria by the arm and escorted her out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Bella was still nearly unconscious laying on the bed. I vaulted to the window ledge, balancing on my tip toes as I tried to slide open the window. Thankfully it eased up noiselessly and I was able to enter the room without making a sound. She looked so tired, her skin abnormally pale with deep bruises under her eyes. The delicate skin of her lower lip was chapped from her constant habit of chewing it. I could see the perfect imprints of her upper teeth in her flesh, knowing it would only take a few more bites to break the skin.

I glided over to the bed, kneeling next to her and cradling her head in my palms. Her breathing stilled as I lowered my face to hers, inhaling her scent. I wanted to bury my face in her neck and never leave. These past few hours of not knowing if she were alive had been the worst in my existence. I had no idea how I would be able to pull myself away from her. She started to tremble, her heart rate increasing.

"Please no, don't hurt him. I'll do anything you want." She moaned quietly in her sleep.

"Bella, precious girl. Wake up, you are fine." I whispered quietly in her ear. I did not want her to make any more noise and arouse suspicion.

Her eyelids gently fluttered and she nuzzled her cheek against my palm like a kitten would.

"Hmmm, Edward. I had the worst dream." She breathed, bending her knees and curling her body around mine. I hated that I would have to tell her that the past few hours had not been a dream. It was our new reality.

"Bella, you need to stay quiet. I don't have long before someone will be back to check on you. Can you tell me anything that could help us get you out of here?" I whispered quickly.

Her eyes flew open and she started to shake as she remembered everything that had happened since she was taken from our room.

"Please precious girl, you need to stay quiet." I pleaded as I laid my finger over her lips.

She launched herself at me, wrapping her trembling arms around my neck and burying her fingers in my hair. I gently held her against my chest, trying to reassure her that I was here, and she was safe, for now.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Huge thank you to my new readers who have reviewed/favorite/alerted this story. I try to reply to every review, just to let you all know how much they mean to me! Poor Dalloway5906's laptop is being a douche, so you might get an un-betaed update on Wednesday. **

Chapter 20

BPOV

He was here. After the horrible thoughts that Corin had put in my mind, I needed the reassurance that Edward was really here. I had never felt the kind of pain that she had inflicted upon my body and mind. While the physical pain of having my heart ripped out was excruciating, the visions she played in my head were beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

_Edward telling me he did not want me_

_Edward turning me over to Aro, saying he had made a mistake ever bidding on me_

_Edward wrapped around a tall blonde beauty. Whispering into her ear. Her hands stroking down his chest as he threw his head back and laughed._

_A__No, I have no idea how I ever touched her. She disgusts me.__ He smirked as he leaned down and kissed her. _

I trembled against him as I remembered the pain. His arms tightened around me as he kissed a trail from my temple to my ear.

"I have you precious girl. I will do everything I can to keep you safe." He whispered.

"Edward, you have no idea what kind of powers these creatures ha"ve. If they find you here..." I could not even finish that thought.

"I can hear if anyone approaches the room Bella. Have you heard any of their plans?" He asked quietly as he trailed his fingers up and down my arm.

"They said I was a shield, whatever that means. Aro made several vampires try to break through it, but most of them were unsuccessful. I was able to fight through one attack, which impressed him. He said I needed to be able to control my gift before he would change me." I said, before turning and snuggling my face into his chest. I could feel his scent calming me but I knew that it was only temporary. He was going to have to leave, there was no way he could get me out of here.

"Edward I really don=t want Aro to change me. Can't you do it now? I would much rather it be you. I pleaded as I got to my knees, pulling on his shirt to bring him up with me. AJust think, I would be so much stronger and with my shield I might be able to get away from here.

"Bella, it takes days for the transformation to be complete. You would be in extreme pain the entire time. As much as I dread the though of anyone else changing you, I just don't think it would be a good idea for me to do that now." He whispered as he caressed my jaw with his fingertips. His eyes were as golden as I had ever seen, almost glowing neon in the faint light.

He was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. I could hear Alice's chirping through the phone and Edward's grunts and one word answers. I could tell that he did not like whatever Alice was trying to tell him. He quickly hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"So, what did Alice say? Was she able to see anything?" I asked, because I knew if I were to wait for him to enlighten me I would be sporting some serious wrinkles by then.

"She said she saw .." He mumbled. It looked like I was going to have to force the information out of him.

"I'm sorry Edward, what did she see?" I asked as I slid my good hand down his chest and rested it on the fly of his pants. His breath caught and his entire frame tensed.

"Bella, what are you doing?" He moaned.

"I'm interrogating you. This is my 'good cop'. I really don't think you want to see my 'bad cop.' So how about you spill it and then we can make a decision together." I whispered seductively as I tightened my grip around his quickly hardening cock.

"She said she saw you as one of us, but she was still unable to tell who changed you." He grunted, as my fingers explored the shape of his erection through the layers of fabric. His phone buzzed again, but I was quicker than he was in his ...'state' and managed to get to it before he could.

"Hello Alice." I laughed into the phone.

"Bella, now is really not the time to be teasing Edward. You have exactly 20 minutes before Felix will be up to get you." She reprimanded.

"I'm sorry Alice. I don't know what I was thinking." I apologized.

"Let's just blame it on extreme stress and leave it at that. Now release my brother so he can talk to Jasper." She said.

I slowly removed my fingers and glanced up at Edward. He was staring at the ceiling, his jaw clenched tight. "Umm, Betty White having sex with Ed McMahon." I whispered into his ear.

His entire body jumped as he turned his face to me. "What?" He asked.

"I was trying to think of something disgusting so it would take your mind off of your... you know... problem." I said, gesturing towards the tent he had pitched in his pants.

"Well Bella, since Ed McMahon has been dead for quite a while, I think you succeeded in getting my mind off of sex." He said, looking like he was trying not to dry heave.

He spoke to Jasper quickly on the phone, his perfect poker face leaving me unable to figure out what they were talking about. He shut the phone and pulled me onto his lap as he slid to the edge of the bed. I nuzzled my face into his neck, memorizing his scent. His arms wrapped around me and he buried his face into my hair, no doubt trying to soak up my fragrance as well.

"Alice said we only have about 20 minutes or so left until Felix comes for me." I whispered, hating that I had to break up our snuggle.

"I know. Jasper and Alice think you should know what they are planning on using you for." I said.

"So tell me. If they think I should know, I probably should know." I said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Jasper had traveled all over the country before he found Alice and came to live with our family. He lived with another coven once, down in Texas. Their leader was named Maria, and she was trying to unite other vampires to try and form an alliance. She thought that vampires were a more superior species than humans, and we should not be ashamed to feed on them. Jasper had not known that there were others out there, like Carlisle, who fed on only animals. Maria convinced him that we were dangerous and had him build an army of vampires to come and destroy my family. He made it as far as Colorado, when he met Alice in a diner outside of Towaco. She walked right up to him and smacked him across the face. She told him he had kept her waiting long enough. Jasper fell head over heels for the little pixie and left all thoughts of Maria and her army behind. Together Alice and Jasper found us, and although it has been harder for Jasper, they have fully accepted our vegetarian lifestyle." He explained.

I took a minute to absorb all he had told me. I had never really thought about the fact that there were other vampires all over the country. "What does all of that have to do with what Aro needs me for?" I asked.

"I guess in the years since Jasper has left her, Maria has been very busy. She wants to dominate the vampire world. She is targeting any large coven who has power. She has a huge army of newborn vampires who are doing her bidding. Their next stop is here, for Aro. Jasper thinks that Aro is hoping you will be able to use your shield to protect everyone here."

"Will she come for our family if she is able to defeat Aro?" I asked, trailing my fingers down his cheek.

He hummed happily and closed his eyes. "You said our family."

I jolted, I had not even realized that I had. They did feel like my family, despite the short time I had known them, and I now knew I would do anything to help keep them safe.

"And yes, I do believe that if Maria is able to defeat Aro, she would come after our family next. Jasper really angered her when he deserted her cause."

I was sick just thinking about anyone coming after my family. Edward was my entire world now, but his family was just as important to me now. I needed to learn how to control my shield, not to save Aro, but to be able to save our family when the time came.

EPOV

I knew Bella well enough to know what she was planning. She curled her body into my chest and raised her face up, her lips searching for a kiss. I would never deny her, and lowered my own. Her mouth attacked mine, desperation coloring her movements. She clung to me, as if trying to climb inside my body. I always felt that I could never get close enough to her. Her mind was closed off from me, and it scared me. I knew she was going to try and have Aro teach her how to use her shield and then change her so she could protect our family from Maria. I wish there could be another way. I wish I could have been able to take her to some deserted island and make love to her for hours before I would finally, at the peak of our joined climax, claim her as mine for eternity. But no, we were here, with her being held captive and a vampire army on the way, looking forward to killing every one of us.

I had hoped that Alice's most recent vision would not come to pass. She saw Bella standing point ahead of the entire Volturi guard. The vision ended before we were able to see if Bella was successful in defending against Maria's army. I had no doubt that once she was able to control her shield, she would be able to deflect any attack, but I was petrified. I never wanted to leave this room, but I could already hear Felix's thoughts from the floor below. I slowly stood Bella on her feet as I moved off the bed.

"He is coming precious girl. I must leave." I breathed, my hands crushing her shirt. Now that the time had come to leave her, I was not certain I would be able to.

"Will you stay close so I will be able to contact you?" She said, as she tried to discreetly wipe the tears off her cheeks.

"Yes, Jasper and Emmett are already on their way here. We will all be here within the next few hours. Esme has made arrangements to rent a house close by. With any luck..." I could not finish my thought. If there was such a thing as luck, Bella would be home with her father right now, and the biggest worry she would have would be what to make for dinner.

"Hush now Edward. Your mind is going a mile a minute, just kiss me again and tell me you will see me soon." She said as she grabbed my hair and pulled me down to her waiting lips.

"I'll see you soon precious girl." I said, as soon as she allowed me to breath again.

She looked up at me from under her lashes, her cheeks flooding pink. "I love you." She said shyly, and my world stopped spinning. I knew that I loved her, but would never have expected her to feel the same.

"If my heart could beat, it would beat only for you. I love you more than anything." I said, placing her hand on my chest, covering my long dead heart.

ANow go, I have some work to do." She said as she wiped more tears off her cheeks and pushed me out the window.

**A/N: Huge thanks to Lolashoes and EZRocksAngel, who inspired Edward's daydream of Bella's change. Go read their stuff if you are not already, they are both amazing! Check out 'Bidding on Destiny' for EPOV from certain chapters. **


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Not Mine

**A/N: I can't thank you all enough for the reviews/favorite/alerts! It makes my day when I get all those e-mails! Dalloway5906 was kind enough to jump through hoops to get this chapter betaed for the update today! Let's all send her some love!**

**EPOV**

My stomach was tight as I jumped out of the window. I had not felt the urge to vomit in nearly 100 years, since I was human. But I was now imagining the bitter taste of bile in my mouth. Leaving Bella alone in that room went against every instinct I had. I was her protector. Yet if I stayed with her in that room, it would mean certain death for us both. I was faced with a brutal double edged sword.

I could hear Felix's thought as he got closer to her room.

_Fucking Aro. He does not need this weak human. If he would just allow me to contact Maria I am sure I could convince her that uniting with our coven would be in her best interest. But no, Aro thinks he knows best. Let's see how good this little girl is against a physical attack._

My hands were clenched into fists so tight I was afraid my nails would pierce right through my palms. What did he think he was going to do, attack her? Aro had already reprimanded Victoria and Corin for harming Bella. How did he think he could get away with hurting her? I knew that she would be unable to defend herself against a physical attack. I was pulled from my anger-induced haze by the phone buzzing in my pocket. We were going to have some expensive cell phone bills this month.

"Yes Alice."

"Get to the window so you can see her." She demanded.

"No. I don't think I will be able to stop from launching myself through the window when he hurts her." I said as my grip tightened on the phone.

"Relax Edward or you are going to break your phone and then I will not be able to get in touch with you." She soothed.

I took a calming breath as I consciously relaxed the death grip I had on my phone. "Ok, that's better. Now, go up in the tree and watch what our girl can do. It will only work if she knows you are watching."

I closed the phone and climbed back up the tree just as Felix approached the door. He hesitated, torn between just opening it and knocking. I was glad when he played the gentleman and knocked. I whistled lowly, catching Bella's attention before she turned to open the door. She shot me a smile as she slid the curtain almost closed, trying to hide me from Felix's view. She straightened her spine and stalked to the door, swinging it open.

"Yes." She demanded.

_Oh, she is so feisty. I am going to enjoy tussling with her. Just hope I don't make her bleed. I might not be able to pass up a snack._

I was starting to feel guilty for the damage I was inflicting on the poor tree I was hiding in as I tried to control my anger.

"Aro has sent me to test your shield again." He lied. Did he not realize that the next time Aro touched him he would be able to see what he had done to Bella?

"Well fine, let's get it over with." She said as she turned back towards the bed as he closed and locked the door. "What exactly is your gift?"

"I am a fighter." He said, his voice turning to steel.

"So how am I supposed to shield you?" She said, the slight waver in her voice apparent only to me.

"Well, how about we find out. Has the Cullen boy shown you how much fun a vampire lover can be? I myself have never had a go at a human, but Demetri tells me the warmth is just amazing. How about we give it a go, shall we?" He said as he took off his suit coat.

I could see her slight tremor as he stalked towards her. A wave of nausea hit me as bitter bile flooded my mouth again. I swallowed it down, tensing my muscles to vault through the window if he got any closer to Bella. My phone buzzed with a text message and I swiftly opened it, my muscles relaxing as I read the four words on the screen.

_WATCH YOUR GIRL WORK_

I snapped the phone closed and turned back to the window in time to see Felix launch himself at Bella. She put her hands out in front of her, palms facing out. I could see the absolute terror on her face as sweat beaded on her forehead. A cry froze in my throat as he collided with my girl, her body falling to the ground. She was motionless underneath him, but Felix was still as well. I heard several people moving up the stairs, all wondering what the commotion was. Felix's mind was silent as Aro and Demetri made quick work of the locked door. They moved swiftly across the room and pulled Felix off of Bella. Bella immediately sat up, looking shell shocked. Her eyes were trained on Felix's still form, frozen in his attack position.

"What is happening?" Aro questioned, his eyes moving from Bella to Felix.

"Well, you sent him. I though you could answer that." Bella breathed, her heart rate finally slowing.

"I did not send him." Aro said, he voice low and menacing.

"He told me that you sent him to see if I was able to block him." She said, gingerly getting to her feet. Her cast had a large crack in it from the collision and I could see pain clouding her eyes. Her eyes flitted to the gap in the curtain, and her spine straightened as she took comfort in my presence outside the window.

"Well, it seems that you were able to block him. How did you do that?" Aro questioned, using his toe to nudge Felix's motionless form. "And can you release him?"

"I have no idea how I stopped him. And I have no idea how to release him. Although I gotta tell you, I am not sure I would want to let him go even if I knew how." She said, pride blooming in my chest at her strength.

"Demetri, get him out of here." Aro said with disgust. "It looks like we may be able to change you sooner than I thought."

Bella crossed her arms on her chest and tilted her chin up, glaring at Aro. "If you are going to use me as a pawn in some game, I at least deserve to know what you have planned."

Aro laughed, stepping back and motioning Bella through the door. "I'll tell you everything I can dear Isabella. Come, let's go down into my office."

Bella walked out of the door, moving her good hand around to her back, her fingers forming a strange pattern. I pulled my phone out, ready to google the hand motion when another text came in from Alice. It was a link to a website. I immediately clicked on it and my breath stopped as I realized she had flashed me the sign for 'I love you.'

**BPOV**

I was clueless as to how I was able to stop Felix's attack. I knew Edward was watching from the window. He would never have been able to let Felix attack me. And I could never allow him to watch me be brutalized. As much pain as it would cause me, knowing that he was watching and unable to help me hurt me even worse. As Felix moved into attack position, I threw my hands in front of me, bracing myself for impact. Thoughts of Edward and I together flashed through my mind, my mind realizing that my life could be ending in the next few minutes. I was thrown back as an immovable weight crushed me into the floor. It was only seconds later that the weight was lifted, and I looked up into the shocked face of Aro and Demetri.

Aro was flabbergasted that I had been able to stop Felix's attack, and I secretly wished he did not know I was able to block physical attacks. I felt like I had signed my own death sentence. There was no way he was going to let me stay human. Alice had told me that if a human possessed a gift, it was usually magnified when they were changed into a vampire. I could see the wheels in his head spinning as Aro motioned me out the door. I wanted to assure Edward that I was fine, so I flashed him the sign for 'I love you' before I left the room. I had no idea if the room we were heading to had a window, but I hoped that he would be able to hear the thoughts of those around me and know that I was safe.

I followed Demetri down the stairs and into a large library. The book worm in me was ecstatic to see the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that lined the walls. There was one section I could see that was entirely made up of large leather bound volumes that looked as old as Aro. My fingers itched to explore, but I tucked them together and sat down in one of the large chairs in front of the fireplace. Aro was quick to take the other chair and sat forward, resting his chin in his hands. He was looking at me like I was an art exhibit, leaning his head from side to side to see if he could better understand what he was seeing.

"You have no idea how you were able to stop Felix's attack?" He questioned again.

"No Aro, I have no idea." I said, getting tired of his questions when he was not giving me any answers. "Let's get this shit over with. Answer my questions and you can throw whoever and whatever you want at me to try and test my shield."

He looked furious for a second before his face morphed into a look of respect. "Fine Isabella, ask away."

"What are you planning on using me for?"

"We have feared for some time that there may be an uprising coming in the vampire world. I was planning on 'using' you to protect myself and the others in our coven against said uprising."

Well, at least he was not lying to me. That was pretty much what Jasper had predicted would happen. "How soon do you expect the attack to come?"

"I can not be sure. The last we heard the group was still in the south. It could be weeks or months, or it could be days. That was why I wanted to rush your training so we could get your change started." He said, talking about ending my human life with such carelessness.

"Now I think I have been very patient with you. I answered all of your questions. Now I want to see what else you can do. Demetri, please bring in Corin."

My spine stiffened as I heard his request. Fear pooled cold in my belly as I remembered the last time I had been faced with Corin's gift. I was still unable to understand how I used my shield and I was not sure I would be able to survive another attack.

The beautiful vampire glided into the room. Her lavender eyes were trained on me, a small smile gracing her face. Her beauty was the kind that transcended the centuries, she would have been considered beautiful even in the times of Pharoahs. She turned her lilac eyes to Aro and bowed her head.

"My dear Corin, I would be in your debt if you would once again challenge Isabella. I am beginning to think she might be holding out on us." He said, turning his crimson eyes to me.

I held my breath as she turned and looked at me. I glanced around the room and noticed the large picture window and the large tree beyond. I knew Edward was out there, watching this. My stomach heaved as I thought of how I would feel if it were him in my place. I started to feel the unbearable pain start to grip my chest, as my heart struggled to work its way free from its place beneath my ribs. I doubled over in the chair, pressing my chest against my knees in an effort to keep my heart in place. The physical pain was nothing compared to the visions she projected into my mind.

_A mop of bronze hair buried between the slender white thighs of a blonde beauty. Her neck arched back in ecstasy as his tongue trailed up her inner thigh and he latched his mouth onto her wet core. His golden eyes peering up over her smooth belly at her face as she screamed his name. _

_Edward looking down with longing as the blonde was now perched between his legs, his cock held gently between her delicate hands. Her ruby lips latching onto him as his mouth parted and he breathed her name._

My stomach revolted against its contents, and I vomited all over the floor. This was wrong, Edward loved me. He would never betray me like this. Corin was relentless in her attack and the visions continued.

_A raven haired man was seated at a piano. A chestnut haired woman entered, wearing only a sheer blue robe. She stroked her hand down his spine as she whispered into his ear._

"_When will she be home?"_

"_Not for another hour, we have time." He responded as he turned from the keys and pushed the robe off of her shoulders._

"_Does Corin know about us? You know it would kill her." She asked as he cupped her bare breasts in his palms and used his tongue to bring her nipple to a hard point._

"_No, she has no idea. Don't worry, she would never suspect that her sister had captured her husband's heart." He said as he brought her down to straddle his lap._

A scream broke through the pain as I was suddenly released from the vision. The aching pain was still pressing against my chest, but my sight was my own again. I saw Aro's astonished face first and then my eyes were drawn to the screaming woman huddled in the corner. She brought her agonized face up as she continued to yell.

"How? How did you do that?" She cried.

"I .. I have no idea." I knew that my trust and love for Edward was what had saved me. I was able to turn Corin's power against her. Using her own brutal memories against her. I actually felt bad for her. Her husband had fallen in love with her own sister, and they lied to her about it. I had felt her pain, her betrayal. That was what was fueling her power.

Aro made a sweeping motion with his hand. "Get her out of here. If she can not calm down, have her destroyed. She will be of no use to me if she is unable to use her gift." Corin was dragged from the room, her screams had turned to quiet sobs.

"I do believe you have proven yourself Isabella. Why don't we adjourn to your room and we can …. talk."

I could hear the growling from outside the window, and knew that Edward was listening to Aro's thoughts. All the heads in the room turned towards the glass, and I knew I had to distract them.

"Fine Aro, lets get this over with." I said, quickly rising to my feet and stepping over the puddle of my vomit. My heart was slowly breaking as I left the room, knowing that Aro was planning on changing me when we got to my room.

**A/N: Yes, I know. Don't hate me. Drama is coming, I'm not gonna lie. Next chapter is already written and in the capable hands of Dalloway5906. I'm gonna go hide till Sunday!  
**

**Now for the fic that has been pwning my ass for a while:**

**The Sound of your Voice**

**by  
**

**Marie0912**

**I think I may have cried during every chapter. I told her I would read the phone book if she decided to re-write it. Go read it!**


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Not Mine

**A/N: So, I am not going to say much. Thank you to Dalloway5906, who reassures me that I will not lose all of you reader after this chapter! See you down below.**

Chapter 22

**BPOV**

I willed my feet to keep moving. I could almost feel Edward moving outside, his motions parallel to my own inside. What was coming was what we both had been dreading. Aro wanted me changed, and he was not willing to wait any longer. I was excited to become a vampire, my indestructibility making it easier for Edward to touch me the way he wanted to. I was looking forward to having eternity to spend with Edward, never having to worry about old age or disease. I was thrilled that I would be truly welcomed into the Cullen family. At the same time I was devastated to be leaving my own family behind. They would notice the changes in my appearance and question my absence. I was supposed to have called Charlie yesterday to let him know how I was doing. I was worried what my disappearance would mean for the Cullens.

My thoughts evaporated as I entered through the broken doorway into my room. Demetri had attempted to fix the ruined door, but the hinges were beyond repair. Aro simply leaned the door against the frame, effectively sealing us inside. My hands were shaking as he turned from the door and faced me. He swept his long black hair over one shoulder and removed his suit coat, leaving him in a black button down shirt. He smirked at me as he noticed my trembling.

"Ah Isabella, excited are you? I promise I will try and make it as painless as possible. I can't imagine how the young Cullen boy was able to deny himself around you. Your fragrance is pure heaven." He said with an exaggerated sniff.

He rolled up his sleeves and approached the bed, patting it as he sat down. "Join me won't you? I promise I will not bite, not yet anyway." He said, laughing at his own joke.

_Not fucking funny asshole!_

My trembling continued, and I worried that I might shake my fillings loose. I sat down in the spot he had indicated and put my hands in my lap. An upside of the 'changing into a vampire thing' was that I could lose the cast. Although there was the three days of excruciating burning fire thing, that certainly was a bummer. I closed my eyes and willed my mind to think of Edward.

_I thought of the thousands of nights we would have together, wrapped around each other as twilight turned to night. _

Aro took my hand out of my lap and trailed his nose up my arm.

_I thought of the places we would be able to travel. Seeing Paris and London with the love of my life._

Aro pulled the neck of my shirt to the side and buried his nose in the tender spot where my shoulder met my neck.

_I thought of the houses we would share with his family. Helping Esme plant flowers and Rosalie change sparkplugs. Playing dress-up with Alice and listening to Jasper recount the battle of Gettysburg._

Aro's tongue darted out and traced the path of my jugular, humming as he felt the racing of my blood through the thin skin.

_I thought of Carlisle joining us at the end of the day, telling us about the patients he had been able to save and the few that had not been so lucky. Emmett challenging me to another wrestling match and getting so pissed when he lost… again. _

Aro scraped his sharp teeth down my neck, pain stinging as the blood flowed from the scratches he inflicted and a solitary tear leaked from the corner of my eye.

_I thought of Edward. _

Aro's teeth tore easily through my flesh as tears flowed freely from my eyes.

_I thought of Edward._

The burning pain seared through my veins as the venom infiltrated my blood stream.

_I thought of Edward._

Screams were the only thing I could hear as the pain pulled me under, darkness cloaking my mind.

_I thought of Edward._

**EPOV**

I must be in hell. There is no other explanation for what I was experiencing. The love of my life was slowly being tortured only feet in front of me, yet I was helpless to stop it. I did not fear for my own existence. If it were to save Bella, I would sacrifice myself in an instant. But I knew it would not save Bella. It would only leave her alone and defenseless. With me alive I could still hold out hope that I would be able to get her to safety….eventually.

I had managed to find a tree near the window of Aro's library. If I leaned across the tree branch, I was able to see Bella sitting in the chair near the fireplace. I could hear everything, but it was disorienting only being able to see a small section of the room. My muscles clenched when Aro asked for Corin again. I did not think Bella's fragile body would be able to suffer through another one of Corin's attacks. She was hanging on by a thread. I could not even remember the last time she had slept.

Bella's body folded onto itself, as if trying to keep itself together. Her screams were painful, and my hands flew up to try and cover my ears. The stinging pain of unshed tears clouded my vision and I found I was mimicking her position, trying to keep the agony of her pain inside. Her screams ceased and I looked up quickly, hoping to see that she had been able to block Corin's gift. I was in time to see her tiny body expel whatever food she had eaten before the pain wracked her body again and her screams resumed.

I could not take anymore. I did not care if they destroyed me. They could torture me for years if it would get them to stop destroying my gentle Bella. I had released my grip on the tree and prepared to jump through the window when I was tackled to the ground by a flying pixie.

"Alice, you have to let me go. They are killing her." I breathed, wishing my body could release some of the agony by shedding tears.

"Edward, they will end up killing you both if you go in there. You have to let this play out." She said as she held me down.

I finally noticed that Emmett and Jasper had accompanied Alice. Jasper looked haunted as he gazed up towards the window in which his newest sister was suffering. I knew he was feeling both my agony and her pain.

"Go Jasper. It is enough that we are suffering, you should not have to experience it as well." I said, as he gripped my hand to help me up from the ground.

The double shot of torture must have been greatly affecting him, because he said nothing as he turned and sped into the night. I looked back to Alice, hoping that her visions would be able to show me some good news. Just as her vision started a different scream came from inside the building. All our heads turned and I jumped back up into the tree. Bella was still crouched down but her screaming had stopped. Corin was the one screaming now. Her mind was racing through thoughts of a black haired man and a brunette, who looked a lot like herself. Aro had her removed from the room and then spoke the words that stilled my world.

"I do believe you have proven yourself Isabella. Why don't we adjourn to your room and we can …. talk."

Emmett and Alice were on me before I could even attempt to move. Alice's tiny hand clamped down on my throat, quieting the growling that was coming through my vocal chords. We all knew what Aro was planning, and they knew it would happen over my dead body. Bella was my life, my future. It should be me that changed her, not Aro. I pushed out of their grasp and vaulted from tree to tree until I was back at Bella's window. I was staring through the glass as Bella entered. Her head was down, her spirit broken. Aro followed and placed the damaged door over the opening, closing them inside. His thoughts were disjointed. He was excited to taste Bella, but was worried that he might not be able to stop himself from draining her dry.

He sat on the bed, motioning her next to him. She sat willingly and my hands clenched into fists. If someone had handed me coal, I could have made a diamond. They were facing the window, and I was able to see as Bella dropped her head when Aro lifted her arm, taking in her delicate fragrance. I was disgusted to find my mouth filling with venom. My love was suffering and my traitor body was reacting to the fact that her precious blood was about to be spilled. Aro ripped her shirt, shoving his face into her neck. My knees weakened and I swayed on the branch as Alice and Emmett joined me in the tree.

My siblings each grabbed an arm as Aro roughly scored his teeth down her neck, causing blood to ooze from the wounds. I never reacted to the blood, I was too busy watching the trail of a single tear moving down her cheek. A sob ripped from my chest as he tore into her perfect skin and allowed her blood to flood his mouth. The venom was leaking out of my own mouth as I watched him taking in the essence of my girl. He managed to stop and started to push his venom into the wound instead. As the poison hit her system, Bella started to scream. The burning was beyond any pain one could experience as a human, and even now I can still remember every second of those three days.

Alice and Emmett released my arms and I fell forward out of the tree. My body's impact was loud, and Emmett quickly lifted me up and ran for the cover of the woods. Alice had stayed to disguise the obvious body-shaped imprint in the ground before joining us. I wanted to stay and make sure Bella was fine, but I knew I would never be able to listen to her screams. Emmett set me down against a tree, miles away from the house. Jasper joined us and wrapped Alice in an embrace. His eyes stayed on me, silently apologizing for my suffering.

I wanted him to take the pain away.

I wanted him to take the agony I was feeling, the betrayal that I had not been the one to change my love.

I wanted him to make the next three days be over already.

I wanted….I wanted my Bella.

But it would be days before I would get to see her again.

**A/N: Please don't hate me. There was really no other way I could have it go. The next chapter is finished and will post on Wednesday.**

**I wanted to take the time to thank those of you who have consistently reviewed:**

**Inge80, acw1, americanlatinajapanesegirl, cullengirl08, amrawo, nails223, snusa, mad4hugh, rpatz granny, dark-star-mystery, janjan2009, iarvl, Mrs. Patrick Verona, melferd, gasuz09, GT, IvoryAdulation, Kel-Ala-Vic, Flora73, Kimi Lowe, Maddy90, Saren Kol, deedee2011, fallunder, JFT, Heatherp, sujari6, mommywanda, texbratt67, clary shadows, Ruth Perk, MidnightTulip, jess110426, GeniusTallii, tiffyboocullenjonas, IGOTEAMEDWARD, YankeeDiva, tokiotwilightlover, It's Lyrically Insipid, xxxParvati-Patixxx, Gumygrape5794 and Dalloway5906**

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	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I was really worried about everyone's reactions, but it really had to be done. Dalloway5906 gave me an early birthday gift of Twilight plates and napkins for my party (Thursday I turn the big 29, which is wayyy to old to be this obsessed with Twilight!) My Mom is giving me the gift of ink, yes a new tattoo. I will be posting a picture of it on Twitter, so if you are not following me..... follow me! kitkat681 You can watch me embarrasses myself with the big girl crush I have on and Hunterhunting :-P  
**

**BPOV**

My body was melting. It had to be. I was going to be a puddle of melted flesh and organs by the time I was finished. What bothered me the most was that I could feel myself wanting to lick up the faint traces of my own blood that would be mixed with the gooey mess of liver and intestine and spleen.

Time no longer held any meaning for me. It could have been minutes or weeks. All I could feel was the intense burning as the venom spread through my body. I could almost feel the changes that I was undergoing. My bones were the first to change, painfully solidifying into a structure that would eventually be stronger than titanium. My organs were slowly shriveling up, not needed by my new vampire self. The skin that covered my body was tightening, filling with the impenetrable substance that would shield me from any attack. My brain was the only organ that was not dying. If anything it was getting bigger, not larger, but it felt like I had more synapses firing than before. The ability for me to think was rapidly expanding, allowing me to catalogue the changes in my body and still worry about Edward.

He was at the forefront of my thoughts. At times I could hear myself screaming, although I could hear a difference in my voice as well. I hated to think of him sitting alone in the tree outside the window, suffering along with me. I hoped that Emmett and Jasper had dragged him off, somewhere he could not hear me slowly dying. I knew if our positions were reversed, I would not be able to stomach listening to him go through this.

I was vaguely aware that people were constantly coming and going. Aro spent a ridiculous amount of time whispering into my ear. I think he was hoping that by filling my mind with his filth, I would forget about the Cullens.

_You are mine now. _

_You will be my weapon. _

_You will save us all. _

_They left you here. _

_Only I care about you now._

Was this how the change worked? Did your 'maker' sit around and explain what he expected for your new life? I imagined that Carlisle would stay by your side, whispering relaxing words into your ear as he bathed the sweat from your dying body. But Aro did not have an ounce of the compassion that Carlisle possessed. I held tight to my human memories, petrified that I might not be able to remember Edward when I emerged as a newborn vampire.

As the venom continued to spread throughout my body, my brain recognized that it had a smell. It smelled of bitter chocolate and sage, not all together unpleasant, but definitely reminiscent of the air which always surrounded Aro. I was scared that I would continue to smell like Aro after my change was complete. I could not imagine how hard that would be for Edward to be faced with the scent of the monster that forcibly ended my human life. I tried to remember if Edward or any of the others smelled like Carlisle, but I was rarely around anyone without Edward, and his scent always took control of my mind.

As the time passed, the burning in my body was slowly taking a backseat to the scorching pain in my throat. It felt like I had swallowed an entire habanera pepper and chased it with some razor blades. The tissues of my throat were inflamed, making it impossible for me to let any fluids pass through my esophagus. My fingers twitched, wanting to try anything to stop the debilitating pain. I was surprised to find that my hands moved when I asked them to and were now wrapped around my neck. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking fiercely as I was assaulted by blinding light.

"Ah good, the transformation is complete. Please, take your time. It can be disorienting to emerge with your new senses." I heard Aro say, somewhere from my left.

I tried to open my eyes again, but the light was way too bright and I snapped them shut. I concentrated on the sounds and smells in the room. I could hear the deep breaths Aro was unnecessarily taking. His scent was overpowering now that my senses were heightened. I could hear people moving around on the floors above and below, as well as the loud thumping of a heartbeat somewhere close by. My mind zeroed in on that sound, my instincts trying to alert me to the fact that this was something I wanted. I could feel the thick, slippery venom filling my mouth as my body prepared to find the owner of that pounding pulse.

"Can you hear it Isabella? If you follow the sound, you will find a delicious treat. I had it shipped in especially for you. I wanted your first taste to be perfect. Now go, open your senses and find it." Aro said.

I slowly raised my eyelids, finally desensitized to the light. It was disorienting to see all of the things I had been missing with my human eyes. There were several new colors that I could now see, and I wondered what they were called. I could actually _see_ the air. It moved in a wave and was slightly blue against the bright yellow of the light coming from the bedside lamp. The darkness outside the window was rich and overwhelming, yet I could still see every leaf on the tree beyond the glass. I had a hard time processing all of these new sights, but my body was demanding that I ignore everything except the rhythmic beating from the floor below.

I jumped off of the bed and was surprised to find that I was still slightly clumsy. I had hoped that with all of the changed that my body underwent, my innate gracelessness would disappear. Obviously that was not going to happen. Hopefully I would still be able to manage to hunt with Edward and not end up tripping over every root and stump in the woods.

After getting my bearings, I walked swiftly out of the room with Aro following close behind. I could hear my name being said in most of the rooms that I passed, but the incessant thumping was distracting me from all else. I could feel a gnawing thought trying to push through from the back of my brain, like a lost memory. I wished I could stop and dig through my mind to find it, but my body was being pulled to the floor below. I had not even stopped to contemplate what I would find when I opened the door until my hand was poised above the knob. It went against every screaming instinct I had, but I turned from the door and looked at Aro.

"What is behind this door?" I asked, not even recognizing my own voice. I sounded like a perfect orchestration of wind instruments.

"Open it Isabella. What lies behind is the pure essence of what sustains us." He whispered, taking my hand and guiding it to the door knob.

I turned the handle and was pushed backwards by the overpowering scent that wafted out of the open door. The thumping was almost deafening this close and it was getting faster and faster, calling to me. I cautiously peered into the room and used all of my willpower to halt my movements.

"No…" I whispered as I saw what was curled in a ball in the corner.

**EPOV**

We were not far enough away and entirely too far all at the same time. I had spent the last three days in one of the circles of hell. I felt like a betrayer to my love, as I left her to face her own type of hell alone. Her screams were inhuman as the venom slowly invaded every part of her body. I could hear the weakening of her heart with every passing minute. Alice continued to assure me that all would be well, even after seeing her visions getting cloudier as the days progressed. Bella's future was completely chaotic, each decision leading to a completely different outcome. They ranged from her waking from the transformation unable to remember anything from her human life to her destroying Aro as soon as she regained consciousness. Never in these visions were the two of us together, and that was what frightened me the most. I could not imagine a future for myself without her.

The third day brought us closer to the house as we heard Bella's heart slowing even further. Alice said that it would be only a few more moments before Bella's human body would be dead, and she would awake in her new vampire form. I wanted to see her as I had never wanted anything before in my life. I think the desire to lay my eyes on her even surpassed the lust I had for her blood. She was always perfect and beautiful in my eyes, but I could only imagine the perfection she would be in vampire form.

I took a chance and jumped into the tree outside her window, thankful that it was close to midnight. Using the darkness as a cover, I crept silently onto the branch that was closet to the glass. Bella lay, motionless in the bed. Her normally pale skin was nearly translucent and was slightly shimmery in the glowing light from the lamp. Her heart was nearly silent now, and I mourned the loss of that soothing cadence. I would no longer be calmed by counting her heartbeats as she lay sleeping beside me. I would never listen to her breathy moans as she rested in my arms. The hole in my chest was increasing as I witnessed the death of the human girl I had fallen in love with.

With one final, pathetic thump, Bella's heart ceased to beat and she took her first breath as a vampire. I could hear Aro's jumbled thoughts, excitement oozing from him. He was anxious to see what changes were made to Bella's shield now that the transformation was complete. Her eyes opened slowly and I was shocked to see the blinding red from where her beautiful brown used to be. My heart clenched as I realized that there was another thing to mourn the loss of. She shut her eyes just as quickly and Aro spoke quickly and quietly to her, encouraging her. I was finally aware of a thumping heart beating somewhere below me, and was petrified. Did they bring in a human for Bella to feed on? As soon as I awoke from my change, Carlisle whisked me away to the forest to feast on a herd of deer. We had done the same thing for Esme, Rose and Emmett.

As much as I wanted to stay and watch Bella acclimate to her new body, I needed to find the owner of that pulse and see if there was any way I could stop Bella from killing an innocent human. Her willpower was so weak in her newborn state, but I knew she would regret killing someone later. I took one last look at my love through the glass before I jumped silently to the ground. I hoped that I would be able to locate the human before Bella could.

The room was easy to find, and I was thankful that Alice and Emmett had forced me to hunt earlier in the day. The scent that went along with the heartbeat was powerful, amazingly so. Only the scent of Bella's blood had been more potent. After checking to make sure there was no one else present, I leapt up to the window ledge and peered into the dark room. The thoughts coming from the room were disjointed. The only thing that was clear was the overwhelming fear. I could see a body huddled against the wall, trembling in fright. I could not make out the exact age or gender of the human, but I was positive that it was a young one. My stomach lurched thinking of my gentle Bella latching onto this poor child's throat. She would be unable to stop herself, her instincts forcing her to quench her thirst.

I entertained the option of removing the child, taking it far away so Bella would not have to deal with the temptation, but I knew any intervention on my part would alert Aro to our presence. I could only hope that I would be able to ease Bella's conscience after we were reunited.

I heard Bella's light footsteps, followed be Aro's heavier ones. They approached the door and I could hear Bella hesitating. I knew somewhere in her mind she was worried about what lay behind the door. I was surprised to hear her question Aro. In his answer, he tried to draw out her inner monster and make her forget about anything except the throbbing heart on the other side of the door. I heard the knob turning and crouched down so as not to be seen. Bella stood in the door, light streaming into the dark room. The poor child's thoughts were a jumbled mess of fear as he heard the door open. I worried that its heart might beat completely out of its chest.

The slice of light illuminated the crouching child, and I could see that it was a young girl not much older than ten. Her clothes were torn and dirty and her long brown hair was matted with leaves. She was shaking so hard I could hear the vibrations of her bones on the hardwood floors. Her innocent face turned up towards the door, her cheeks wet with tears. I heard a quiet whimpered noise pulled from Bella's chest as she caught sight of the room's inhabitant. I held my breath as I waited for what Bella' reaction would be.

**A/N: Dun dun dunnnn. Sorry for all the cliffies. See you Sunday!**


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: I apologize for the brevity of this chapter. I really wanted all the action to happen at once, so this is what you get. I would already have the next chapter in the capable hands of Dalloway5906, but our power went out today and I lost almost 2K words! So I will keep working on it and you will have it on Wednesday! Happy Mother's day to those who are Mothers. And a Happy Birthday to Dalloway5906's little puddin' who turns 4 today! Love you sweetie!**

**EPOV**

There must not be a God. If there was such an all-powerful being, there was no way that they could allow this poor child to suffer like this. Bella was standing unmoving in the open doorway. Light flooded into the room, placing the girl in a spotlight. Her tiny body was trembling and her thoughts recounted how she arrived here as she prepared herself for death.

_Knew I should have listened to Mom and not followed Jessica. She was always trying to get me in trouble. The big man that pulled me into the van made my stomach feel funny, like the time I ate too much cotton candy at the fair and went on the ferris wheel. Should have listened to Mom. Now I will never get to see her again. And my poor fish, who will take care of them? I never got to feed them today. Will anyone remember to feed them? I never should have followed Jessica. I would not have been in that park after dark if I had just listened to Mom and come inside and did my homework. Now this pretty lady with the weird red eyes is gonna hurt me. I can just feel it. _

Her thoughts faded out into incoherent ramblings and I prayed that Bella would at least have the control to end her gently. There was no way she would be able to resist the scent of this child. Even through the window it called to me, and I had decades of resisting human blood behind me. Bella was still standing in the doorway. She looked like an ethereal apparition as she stood with the light streaming behind her. If not for the crimson eyes and glimmering venom spilling from her mouth I would have thought she was waiting for God to give her wings.

I pulled my eyes from the scene in front of me to glance towards the woods where Alice, Jasper and Emmett were waiting. As my eyes landed on Alice, her thoughts streamed into my mind.

_Just wait Edward. Her future is changing so rapidly I am having trouble keeping up. It is brutal for Aro to have tempted her this way. If she is unable to resist, that poor girl will go quickly, Bella will not draw it out. _

As much as it pained me to think about the repercussions of Bella ending this child's life, I was glad that Alice was able to reassure me that the girl would not suffer unnecessarily. My eyes drifted back to the room as Aro slid through the doorway, pushing past the still immobile Bella. He walked over to the girl, who was pulled so tightly into a ball, only her hair was visible.

"Just look at her Isabella. Can you smell her fear? Adrenalin makes the blood so much sweeter. I don't really allow myself to indulge in children that often. It is like chocolate to a human, one taste and you are hooked. It is harder to find children, their parents are so cautious now a days. It was much better in the 50's when people thought the world was safe and they only worried about nuclear war. They would have never suspected that their children could be kidnapped and made into a feast for a coven of vampires." He said as he reached out to stoke the quivering child's hair.

"You should have seen the parties we had back then. Demetri would go out every Halloween and bring back a mess of little children all dressed up in costumes. We showed them that there were really monsters out there, but of course there was nothing to save them then." He chuckled.

My stomach rolled just thinking about the fear those children must have felt. I could hear Bella's teeth grinding together trying to resist what Aro was offering. He continued to run his hand down her hair, releasing her scent to the room. Bella swayed on her feet as the smell hit her nose and her hand grabbed the door knob as she attempted to stay in place.

"Why are you resisting? This is what we truly are. Humans are like cattle to us. You would never resist a steak when you were human, why resist this meal?" He taunted as he grabbed the child's chin and forced her head up. He caressed her throat as tears fell silently down her cheeks. "What is your name child?"

Her breath released in a shaky whimper. "Angela."

"Come Bella, have a taste of little Angela and see how good it can be." Aro said as he used his nail to split the delicate skin covering her jugular. Blood spilled in a stream down her throat and onto the collar of her filth-covered white shirt. She cried out softly as her hands reached up to grab Aro's wrist.

Bella's eyes turned flat black as she watched the path of the flowing blood. The metal door knob turned to dust in her hand as she attempted to hold herself back. I knew she would be unable to resist this temptation.

Her mouth opened and her nostrils flared as she drew in the scent of Angela's blood. Her feet moved slowly towards the huddling child and Angela struggled in Aro's grip.

"Please."

"Please."

Angela and Bella spoke at the same time. One begging for mercy and the other for strength.

**BPOV**

If I had not believed Aro was a monster before, I would have now as I looked at the frightened child in the corner. The blood spilling from the gash on her neck was like ambrosia to my senses. My mind was overwhelmed with the thoughts of how good it would feel to have that sweet liquid flow over my tongue and down my inflamed throat. I just knew that the burning would stop if I could just have one drop of that fluid, just one. I felt the door handle disintegrate in my hand as I squeezed it. The only thing holding me back was the thought that Edward might be watching through the window. I could not tear my eyes away from the flowing red nectar to see if he was indeed out there.

"Please." I whimpered as the burning increased to the point of agony. My mind recognized that the frightened child had spoken the same word as I had, quietly begging me not to hurt her.

I needed a reason to resist. The life of this child was too precious, I could not end it. Edward and I would never have a child of our own now. There would never be a brown-eyed, auburn haired little boy or girl who would call us 'Mommy' and 'Daddy.' That thought had never bothered me before, but now that I was frozen in this eternal state, my heart broke thinking of it. I would save this child, in memory of the child we would never have.

My stance widened and my back straightened as I steeled myself for battle. "No Aro, I will not do this to her."

His jaw dropped and his grip on Angela's throat tightened, causing her to squeak in fear. "What do you mean? You can not resist her. This is what we truly are Isabella. The sooner you accept it, the stronger you will become. Do you really think that the Cullens are living up to their abilities by drinking from _animals_? They could be so much stronger, more powerful if they accepted their true destiny."

"You are wrong. They are more powerful than you are _because _they resist becoming monsters. I will not do this… and neither will you." I said, as I walked forward. I stopped breathing, not willing to tempt myself with Angela's still flowing blood.

Aro's grip tightened even further, and I could see the imprints of his fingers in her delicate skin. A few more seconds and his fingers would meet, crushing her neck in the process.

"Stop." I whispered. Aro froze, incredulous that I would defy him. His face contorted into pure hatred as he looked down at the timid girl in his grasp.

"Aro, stop." I said, raising my hand towards the pair.

"Who do you think you are? You are my creation, mine to use as I please. You have no power over me." He seethed as he released the girl and stalked towards me.

He stood tall before me, his hands clenched into tight fists against his thighs. I could feel the hatred pouring off him. I pulled myself up to my full height, my face tipped up so I could maintain eye contact.

"I could destroy you right now." He whispered.

"Try it." I taunted.

**A/N: Please click that cute little green button and tell me you don't hate me :)**


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Thanks for sticking through all these terrible cliffhangers. Promise that there will be no nail biting come the end of this chapter! Dalloway5906 rocks my socks and keeps me motivated to keep writing!**

**BOPV**

Aro was beyond furious. I could feel the hate and anger radiating off of him as he trembled before me. He was fighting a losing battle, trying to keep himself under control. He had created me to be his savior. He wanted to use me to keep his coven safe, to protect him when Maria and her army came to destroy them all. He had never imagined that I would have the control to defy him. I should be a cowering shell, willing to do whatever he asked of me as long as he supplied me with blood. But I was strong. I was strong enough to overcome my bloodlust and ignore the thousands of stimuli that were bombarding me. Even I was able to recognize that I should not be able to deny the burning in my throat, ignoring the fact that it would stop with just one pull from the veins of the child in the corner. But by some miracle, I was able to deny this overwhelming desire, because deep down, what was left of my humanity was appalled that I could ever think about harming that girl.

My eyes were locked with Aro's, each of us unwilling to back down. His jaw was clenched, and with my superior hearing I was able to hear his teeth grinding against each other. My face was impassive, not willing to let him see the absolute terror that was bubbling under the surface. He was right, even though I had the strength of a newborn, he had centuries of experience. He would be able to know when and where to strike, defeating me before I even knew what had happened.

Aro finally broke the stare as he threw his head back and laughed. I was able to keep my surprise from showing by digging my nails into my palm.

"Oh Isabella. You are going to be the death of me. What am I going to do with you? You offend me by refusing my gift, but I guess we can just let someone else enjoy her."

"No Aro. She goes free." I growled.

"Isabella, be reasonable. Demetri worked hard to procure her for you. It would hurt his feelings if all his hard work was wasted." He crooned.

"I could give a shit about Demetri's feelings. She goes back to her family, or .." I trailed off, unable to come up with a suitable threat.

"Or what Isabella? You have no bargaining chips. If you refuse to help me I will just have to go after the Cullens. I am sure you will be persuaded when you see what Jane can do to _normal_ vampires." He teased as he moved towards Angela.

He was right, what could I use against him? I would not risk my family's safety, but I could not let this child die. A tingling started in the back of my brain as I searched through my mind trying to come with a solution. The feeling grew until it felt like my brain was rattling in my skull. My eyes involuntary shut as I tried to fight the sensation. Whispers filled my ears, urging me to fight, to push the power out. So I did, using all my strength I forced the sensation out from my hands, like a bubble billowing from the end of a wand. I could see the luminescent film gliding away from me, towards the still form of Angela. The whispers assured me that if I could get her into the safety of the bubble she would be protected. This was my shield, which seemed to be similar to a force field. For a minute I wondered if I were trapped in an episode of Star Trek. Would it work if I yelled out 'beam me up Scotty?'

It felt like Angela was safely incased in my shield, which must be invisible to everyone else, because Aro's hand bounced right off of it as he tried to reach out and grab the child. A growl built deep in his chest as he forced his hand against the barrier again and again. He turned towards me, vibrating with rage. I took an involuntary step backwards as he approached me, but I could not go far because my back was against the wall. I tilted my face up to his as he snarled, venom flying out of his mouth and onto my face.

"What are you doing? Do you think this will stop me?" He yelled as he roughly grabbed my arms and slammed me into the wall. I knew that vampires were invincible, but apparently we could still feel pain, because that shit hurt. His expression transformed into a joyful smile as he looked at the impression my body was making in the plaster behind me. "You are unprotected now. I can hear you."

I quickly tried to pull my shield back from Angela. I hated leaving her without any protection, but I did not want Aro to be able to hear through my thoughts that Edward had been here, and may still be right outside the window.

"Oh, that randy boy! He was able to resist the call of your blood long enough to steal your virtue I see. He will be furious when he finds that I was the one to change you. It is such an intimate act." He said, stroking his fingers down my cheek as he was sifting through my thoughts. It was a huge invasion of privacy but I could not be bothered to care as he suddenly pulled one of my hands up and bent my finger over backwards.

"I should take advantage of this while I can." He said laughing as he witnessed my agony. My vision waivered as the pain caused my shield to slingshot back to me and Aro was flung across the room, landing hard on the floor. He slowly raised his head to stare at me.

"Demetri." He whispered.

I winced as my finger kicked itself back up into place and the bone mended. I quickly went to stand in front of Angela. I jumped as she grabbed my ankle with her warm, little hand. She must have been hoping that I would protect her. Hell, I was hoping that I would be able to protect her. I had no idea if I would be able to surround us both with my shield, but I had no other choice but to try.

Demetri came barreling into the room, ready to kick some ass. He took in Aro's prone form and my defensive crouch over the little human child and dropped into an attack position. I gathered all my strength and pushed my shield around both Angela and myself. I could see the glimmering film surrounding us, but Demetri was unable to, because he ran right into it. He looked like a squished bug as his face smashed against the edge of the shield. I laughed out loud, causing Angela to whimper and hold on tighter to my leg. I could hear her heart beating faster, fluttering in her chest. Venom pooled in my mouth at the sound, but I swallowed the sticky sweet fluid and turned my attention back to Aro, who was finally getting up off of the floor.

"You think you have this all figured out, don't you Isabella? Do you think we would not have taken further precautions?" He teased as he motioned towards the open doorway as Felix entered, dragging a motionless body behind him.

"No!" I screamed.

**EPOV**

She was going to be the death of me. She had no respect for her own safety. Here she was, with the ability to protect herself from any type of attack, yet she is being slammed into a wall and having her finger broken in order to protect a child. I could not say that I did not respect her for choosing to save the child, but I was furious that it was coming at her own suffering. Alice and Emmett were now with me in the tree, each holding one of my arms. When Aro had rushed towards Bella and casually broke her finger, they had to hold me back from crashing through the window.

With Bella's shield going haywire, I was unable to hear any thoughts coming from the room. Bella was still standing guard over the child, her back straight as she stared at Aro and Demetri. Aro taunted Bella again, talking about having taken precautions. Emmett and Alice turned to me, wondering if I had been able to hear what was coming next. I shook my head and looked back through the window. I could not stop my horrified gasp as Felix came waltzing through the door, dragging an unconscious man behind him. I was clueless as to who it could be, but it was obvious that Bella knew exactly who he was. She screamed in protest, anxious to move towards the man, yet unable to leave the child.

"What do you think Isabella? Who will you choose to save? You can only save one." Aro smirked as he strolled over towards the man, roughly pulling his face up by his hair. The man let out a pained groan as his eyelids fluttered.

"Leave him alone you monster." She screamed, as she tried to move towards them, but was stopped as the child held tight to Bella's pants.

"You must make a choice dear. Either save the child or save your Father." Aro said. I inhaled sharply at his words and now it was my turn to hold back Alice as she made a move to vault through the window.

"Alice, stop." I whispered.

"How can we let her make this choice?" She hissed back at me.

"What do you see? Can you see what will happen?" I asked.

Her eyes glazed over as she went limp in my arms. Emmett had not taken his eyes off of Bella and Aro, his lips curled back in a sneer. I was still able to hear his thoughts, and I knew he already thought of Bella as his little sister. He was worried how she would deal with the outcome of either option. Alice stirred slightly, gasping as her eyes flew open.

"Watch and see." She breathed.

Bella was vibrating with hate as her eyes drifted back and forth between the girl and her father. There was no way she would be able to save them both, and Aro knew it. She did not have enough practice with her shield to be able to project it to her father while keeping both herself and the girl safe. Alice seemed confident that things would work out well, but I had no idea how that would happen.

"Isabella, make your choice." Aro shouted, causing Bella to jump.

Her expression was heartbreaking as she slowly dropped to her knees and gently removed the little hand from her pants. She slid her finger under the child's chin and lifted her face. Bella's red eyes looked into the child's wide blue ones as she whispered, "I'm sorry." Fat tears ran down the child's face as she nodded her head, understand that there was no way she would be the one who would be saved tonight.

Bella released the girl and stood up, slowly walking over to where her father was laying. "I'm sorry Aro. I can not make a choice. I will not sacrifice this child and I can not allow you to harm my father."

Aro threw his head back, laughing. "What do you want me to do? Choose for you? Because I guarantee you will not like my decision. If I had my way, both of them would die for your insubordination."

"No, you misunderstand me. I will not choose either of them. You will let them both go." Bella demanded.

Felix and Demetri looked shocked as Bella glared at Aro. I had no idea what she was planning. With Felix, Demetri and Aro in the room, there was no way she would be able to escape, let alone take the two of them with her. She may have been strong enough to defeat Aro, but never Demetri and Felix as well. I turned to Alice, hoping she would share her vision with me, but her thoughts were parading through Michael Kors new fall line with a small smile. I hated when she distracted me with fashion.

A loud growl brought my attention back to the stand-off in the room. Aro had dropped to one knee, his hands curled into claws. "I'll destroy you. Leave us." He shouted towards Felix and Demetri, his eyes never leaving Bella.

"But Master.." Demetri said quietly.

"LEAVE." Aro interrupted him.

They slowly back out of the room, leaving Bella alone with Aro and the two humans. Aro was up in a flash, moving towards Bella's father and placing a hard kick in the man's stomach. Bella screamed out as Aro pulled his leg back for a second attack. Her hand shot out towards the injured man and Aro's foot was stopped short of his intended target. Aro's head snapped up, growling at Bella as he flew over towards the little girl. He had her head locked in his vice-like grip before Bella could even follow his movements. The girl screamed as Aro tightened his hands, slowly cutting off her air supply. Bella's other hand came up towards the pair, and Aro was thrown away from the child, crashing into the chair against the far wall.

Bella looked like a goddess, her arms spread in opposite directions as she projected her shield to the child and her father. Aro was slow to get up, gingerly getting to his feet as he brushed the remnants of the destroyed chair off of his shirt.

"How long do you think you can keep this up? You have not yet eaten, your strength is waning." He whispered.

With his words, Bella's arms lowered a fraction, fatigue shadowing her face. Aro slowly walked towards Bella and Alice gasped from her spot next to me. I could not pull my eyes from the scene in front of me to look at Alice, but I opened my mind to her thoughts, hoping that she would be able to alert us quickly if the vision changed and Bella needed our help. Aro finally stood in front of Bella, raising his hand tentatively to see if she was protected by her own shield. A growl burst from my chest as his hand slowly smoothed down her neck, halting in a crushing grip around her throat. She dropped to her knees as he tightened his hand, but Bella was still able to keep her hands aloft, assuring that her father and the child were still protected.

"As much as it pains me, I must destroy you. You are too powerful for your own good." He soothed as he brought his other hand up to the back of her head, intending to twist her head from her body.

"Go." Alice whispered.

Emmett and I needed no further encouragement as we jumped from the tree through the window. Emmett grabbed Aro by the shoulders, catching him of guard and spinning him around while Alice came gliding through the remnants of broken glass and caught Bella as she collapsed. I approached Aro slowly, knowing that we had a limited amount of time before our presence was detected. I wanted to make him suffer as he had made Bella suffer, but we had no time for that. I put my foot in the middle of his spine, grabbing his skull in both my hands. I pushed with my foot as I pulled his head backwards, so that his view of me was upside down.

"You hurt the person I love most in the world. For that I will end you." I said as I quickly pulled his head from his body, like I would the blossom of a flower.

"Quick Emmett, they are coming." Alice said as she left Bella lying on the floor and snapped her fingers, igniting a spark. Emmett grabbed a piece of the broken chair and used Alice's spark to start a fire. I gently lifted Bella off of the floor as Emmett set Aro ablaze. He grabbed Bella's father as Alice picked up the child and they jumped swiftly out the window as the room filled with thick purple smoke.

Bella looked up at me as Demetri and Felix rushed into the doorway, stopping short as the fire licked its way across the floor.

"Take me home." She whispered as she ran her fingers down my cheek.

"I will my precious girl." I said as I step through the window and landed on the ground below.

**A/N: Phew! Well, hit that little green button and tell me what you think! Citrus warning for Sunday (of course I am not gonna pull an 'Emmett' and cockblock these two!) I love hearing what you all think is coming next, and sometimes your ideas change the path of the story! **


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: So this is going up early because I have a 5K I am running in tomorrow and I will have enough things to worry about. So…. big stuff going on right here. Longest chapter yet! Hope you like it. Dalloway5906's comments had me in stitches. This chapter is dedicated to her, because she is right… with enough peer pressure, anything is possible. See you at the bottom!**

BPOV

Edward was here, and I was safe…finally. The confrontation with Aro and his ultimate demise was blurry in my mind. The strength it took to extend my shield to both Charlie and Angela had left my mind weak, unable to retain the memories of what happened after Aro dismissed Felix and Demetri. I knew that I had felt the moment that Edward entered the room, his presence filling me with relief and the knowledge that we would survive.

Looking back, I had been petrified when Aro had Felix bring in Charlie. How had they found him? What did they tell him? I had hoped that they had captured him the same way they had kidnapped me, so that he was still clueless as to who or what they were. I would not know until he woke up, but I was hoping that we would be able to get him safely back home before he realized what had happened. If he had never seen the faces of his abductor, we may be able to convince him it was all a dream, and he would never have to know what had become of his daughter.

It had not registered to me that I was now just like those bloodsucking leeches who would have killed someone without a second thought. I was one of those monsters now. But I would overcome the urges to hurt a human just for their blood.

Now that I was in the safety of Edward's arms, the burning sensation in my throat was too much to ignore. I struggled in his arms, and Edward stopped running and set me upright. My hands clutched my throat, as I looked at him, pleading with him to stop the pain. He understood my struggle and took my hand, pulling my deeper into the woods, far away from where Emmett and Alice had disappeared through the trees. He raised his head, the early morning light shimmering off the red strands in his hair. His nostrils flared as he took in the scents from the forest, identifying each individual fragrance. It was arousing to see him this primal, like a lion on the prowl. He chuckled quietly, shooting me a sideways glance from under his lashes.

"You need to eat, and if all I can smell is you… we will never get anything done." He whispered as he trailed a finger down my neck and rested his hand at the place where my blood once flowed. I could feel a phantom blush covering my face as I realized that he could smell the arousal that was now dampening my panties.

"Oops, sorry." I muttered, ducking my head. I had hoped that my ability to be embarrassed would have ended when the blood stopped flowing through my veins. But just I retained my innate clumsiness after my change, apparently my body still wanted to broadcast my humiliation as well.

"Don't be sorry. I want nothing more than to be able to take you back to the house and ravish you. Now that you are not so fragile, we can really enjoy ourselves." He said, his crooked grin and suggestive words only increasing my excitement. He quickly grabbed my hand, pulling me through the trees. He slowed to a stop, dragging me in front of his body.

"Do you smell it?" He whispered as his large hand ran up my throat, using his thumb and index finger under my jaw to turn my head in the direction of a small herd of elk. His other hand was wrapped over my shoulder, his arm crossing my chest and molding my back to his body. I could feel the hard muscles of his chest against my spine and the tiny tremors that were rocking through the muscles of his thighs as they supported my weight as my legs went weak suddenly. His warm breath blew across my cheek, and I jumped and tried to pull from his embrace. He tightened his grip and brought his mouth to my ear.

"What's wrong?" He breathed, his tongue tracing the shell of my ear.

"I…" How was I supposed to tell him that I was shocked to feel that his breath was warm, and not the cool puff of air I had remembered? The last time, hell the only time I had been this intimate with a man, his body temperature was about 50 degrees colder than mine. We had not discussed the fact that I was no longer human, not really having the time with all of the head pulling and window jumping.

"Please Bella, tell me." He whispered, his tongue now spreading warm wetness down my jaw as I spread warm wetness down my thighs. I could hear his exaggerated inhale as he noticed my increase in arousal.

"It's just that, I'm different now. You feel different to me. It is just weird I guess." I trailed off, worried how he would take my words. It was not that I did not want him, it was just that it was going to take a while for me to get used to experiencing these things in my new body.

He sighed, sending his sweet breath across my cheek before he turned me around, circling his arms around my back, keeping our bodies pressed close together.

"Nothing has changed for me my sweet. You may not be as warm, or as soft, but it is nice to not be distracted by your thundering pulse anymore." He said with a smile.

This was the first time I had really been able to look at him. With my new sensitive eyes I could see that his eyes were not just golden and black, but had flecks of green and brown in them as well. His skin was slightly shimmering in the muted sunlight that made its way through the trees. I could see each individual muscle flex and contract in his throat as he swallowed and could count the fine hairs that covered his jaw. I looked up into his eyes and was startled to find they had gone flat black, making it easy to see my own reflection. I could see my monstrous red eyes glaring back at me and was suddenly disgusted with what I had become.

As if reading my mind, Edward squeezed my ribs, making me squeak. "You need to hunt. Come on, we have a lifetime to deal with whatever you are thinking about so hard."

He turned me again and pointed to the elk that were calmly grazing a few feet away. Edward whispered encouraging words to me as I inhaled the tart scent of their blood. Their thundering heartbeats were suddenly the only things I could hear. The hair on my arms stood on end and I dropped into a crouch as instinct took over and I launched myself into the middle of the group. I should have tried to take out one of the weaker cows, but found that my body naturally went after the largest bull. He must have been well over 700 pounds, but I was able to wrestle it to the ground with ease. My fingers parted the thick fur and my teeth eased through the delicate skin covering the animal's jugular. Its thrashing only lasted a few seconds after I started to pull the thick tangy fluid from its veins. The burning in my throat lessened with each gulp and I found I was better able to concentrate on everything else around me as the beast's heartbeat finally stopped.

I released the animal from my mouth and instinctively brought my hand up to wipe my mouth, as if I had just had a drink from a water fountain and not savagely killed a huge elk. My hand started to shake as I saw the red streak that covered my skin and Edward was beside me in an instant.

"What have I done?" I whispered, my eyes pricking painfully with unshed tears.

Edward pulled me into his arms, rubbing soothing circles down my spine. "It is normal for us Bella. Your body knows what to do now. The animal did not suffer." He said as he tried to reassure me.

"I can't believe I just did that right in front of you. I must have looked like an animal." I moaned, pulling away from him to bury my face in my blood covered hands.

"Oh Bella, you have no idea how it affected me, watching you hunt. I would have never thought witnessing something like that would be so… arousing." He breathed.

My head whipped up, shocked.

"You looked so primal. It was difficult for me to watch, only because I was afraid you might get hurt. It will take some time for me to forget that you are not the fragile little human you once were." He continued as he rubbed his thumb over my lower lip.

He pulled me up to standing and twirled me around to face the now retreating elk herd. "You need to hunt more." He said as he swatted me on the butt.

I took off after the elk, setting my sights on another large bull. I vaulted off of a rock and onto the animal's back, sinking my teeth into it as it ran. It collapsed to the ground, pinning me underneath. I continued to drink until its heart stopped. I used my feet to push the carcass off of me and stood to brush the dirt and leaves off of my clothes. Edward was leaning against a nearby tree, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Would you like to watch me?" He said. The thought of watching Edward in his element was exciting to say the least. Words failed me so I simply nodded. He pushed off of the tree and into a run in one fluid motion. His body was a blur as he chased after the elk, choosing a slower cow as his target. His body twisted in mid air as he took down the animal and plunged his face into its coarse fur. He must have snapped its neck, because the animal lay calm under him. He missed not a drop and his clothes were aggravatingly clean of blood as he released the animal and slowly stood.

I was unable to move as he approached me, his eyes black. I could see a fine tremor run through his body as he lifted his head slightly and pulled air into his lungs. I was almost afraid as he opened his eyes and stared down at me. His hand lifted and he grazed my cheek with his fingers as he reached behind me and gathered my hair into his hand. He tugged slightly, raising my head to look at him. He looked feral, and now it was my turn to tremble. His mouth lowered to mine as his lips brushed over mine in a gentle caress, completely different from the punishing grip he had on my hair.

He pulled away and met my half-closed eyes. "Do you want this?" He whispered, my body swaying as I breathed in the concentrated scent of his breath. I was unable to speak, and instead stood on my tiptoes to attack his mouth. His once granite skin now gave easily under my lips, his flesh warm under my hands. The strength of my movements pushed us both back so that he was pressed against the trunk of a large shore pine. The branches above us shuddered at the impact as the tree swayed. My teeth bit into his full lower lip, pulling a growl from deep in his chest. His hand pulled my hair back further, exposing my throat to his mouth and teeth. I moaned as he drew his teeth down my neck to the spot where Aro's teeth marks were forever imprinted on my skin.

My eyes pricked again as he reverently kissed the scar, making my heart ache that it was not his prints that I would wear for eternity. I was easily distracted as he tugged again on my hair and brought his free hand to the neckline of my shirt. With one flick of his hand, the shirt was gone and he pushed me back to gaze at my nearly nude chest. The grip on my hair increased as he traced the lacy fabric that covered my breasts. I gasped as he grabbed the center of my bra and savagely tore it from my body. He immediately released my hair and dropped to his knees, his face nearly level with my now exposed breasts. I looked down to notice that during my change, they had gotten a remake as well. They were fuller and my nipples had changed to a delicate pink color. I felt the need to blush as Edward simply stared at me, his fingers slowly circling my nipples. They reacted to his touch and hardened as he brought his mouth to one while his fingers tugged at the other.

I threw my head back and released a breathy moan as he continued to tease me. I threaded my hands through his hair, amazed that I was not pulling it out by the roots with the way I was tugging. He growled against my flesh and I realized that he was enjoying me being rough. I could not imagine the restraint it took for him to even touch me when I was still human. My legs were weak as he moved his mouth lower, approaching the waistband of my pants. I was surprised when his fingers deftly opened the snap and lowered the zipper, figuring he would have just torn the fabric off of me as he had my shirt. He turned me so that my back was against the tree, his gaze never leaving the tiny scrap of lacy fabric he had uncovered when he opened my pants.

He took one foot in his hand as he tugged the material down over my leg, repeating the same with the other side. I now stood against the tree in only a small triangle of fabric. I was shy, standing there with him on his knees in front of me, fully dressed. I put my hands on his shoulders and gripped his shirt, pulling swiftly so the fabric easily tore from his body. I wanted to take the time to appreciate his body with my new senses, but was too eager to slow down. Finally realizing what I was after, Edward pushed to his feet as he could take off his pants, lowering his boxer briefs with them.

He stood before me, gloriously naked. As if in celebration of what an amazing specimen he was, the sun broke through the trees, bathing him in a soft, warm light. My breath caught as I was blinded by the shimmering light coming off his skin. His cock stood from his body, hard and thick. The light reflected off of the drop of moisture oozing from the tip, and my tongue darted out to trace my lips. He reached for me, and I went eagerly. His hands dropped to the thin straps on my hips, pulling them from my body. Our bodies gravitated towards one another now that we were both naked. I fit perfectly against him, my mouth at the exact height to lick and bite his collarbone. His mouth was busy pulling on my earlobes, his teeth biting into the delicate flesh. My hands explored every inch of his back, fingers gliding along the indent of his spine. I grabbed onto the firm muscles of his ass, forcing him closer to me as my leg lifted to his hip. His hands trailed down my arms, pulling my hands from his fantastic butt. He brought our jointed hands up to his shoulders and told me to hold on. I gazed at him through my lust-induced haze as I tried to figure out why he wanted me to hold on. I had no choice but to grab onto him as he quickly grabbed my hips and brought me up to straddle his waist.

I was embarrassed when I felt how wet I was against the firm muscles of his abdomen. My thighs were slick with moisture, and I had a hard time keeping my legs around him. He moved his hands under my ass, keeping me still as he ground himself up against me. Our moans disturbed the wildlife as we reveled in the sensations. I pushed down against his hold, eager to feel him inside me again. He pushed my back against the tree, bringing one hand up to my hair again.

"You need to tell me that this is what you want. You deserve flowers and silk sheets and candles. But I can't keep my hands off of you. If you don't want this, we can wait." He panted.

I was happy that he had thought about my desires and comforts, but right now the only thing I wanted was to be fucked hard against a tree, to prove that this was not just all a dream. But instead of telling him that, I settled for a breathy 'please' before grinding down on him again.

He moved my body back, taking his hand from my hair to guide his tip to my entrance. He was still treating me as if I was human, and I wanted none of that. As soon as he was in place, I rocked my hips, taking all of him in one thrust. His eyes flew open wide and I could feel the growl growing from deep in his chest. He kept one hand under me, while moving the other back to my hair. He pulled my body down as he thrust up into me, pushing me back against the tree. I could feel every inch of him as he moved again and again. The soft hair that trailed down his abdomen was rubbing against my clit, sending chills through my body with each pass. My belly was tingling, sending waves of lightning through my body. I threw my hands over my head, digging my fingers into the tree, trying to stop the storm that was crashing through my body. The sensations were completely different from when I was a human, much more intense.

Edward dropped his mouth to my nipple, tugging with his teeth as he looked up at me. Our eyes locked and the storm within me peaked. My body arched, sending my head smashing into the tree trunk like it was nothing but air. My mouth opened and I did not even recognize the sounds I was making. Somewhere in my mind I realized that Edward was chanting my name over and over as he thrust erratically into me, desperately trying to merge our bodies together for eternity. His body started to shake as his climax approached, and I could feel him get harder inside of me before he snarled against my chest as he came, his reaction sending me into a second wave of ecstasy.

He dropped to his knees, still hard inside of me. He lifted his head, his eyes dazed as he looked past me to something beyond my shoulder. He chuckled weakly before bringing his hand to guide my head around. The tree he had braced me on had a 'me'-sized imprint in it, every facet of my body visible like I was Han Solo trapped in carbonite. The laughter burst from my chest as I looked back at Edward. He pushed the hair off of my face as he leaned in to kiss me, stopping the laughter instantly. If eternity was half as good as the last hour was, I was really looking forward to it.

**A/N: Awwww. Hope you liked that. I have not even started on the next chapter yet. Lolashoes got me hooked on an actual book, **_**The Hunger Games**_**, and I ignored my kids all day today to read it and now have started on the second. It is really good! **

**I WILL eventually be doing an EPOV for this chapter and posting it in "Bidding on Destiny" so keep an eye out there. **

**Send me some love and let me know what you thought of this chapter! **

See you Wednesday!


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: So I apologize for my total fail in replying to reviews this week. I will get to them, not to worry. Thank you all for taking the time to review! I will be re-posting chapters 1 and 2 soon since Dalloway5906 had never gotten her hands on them. The edits, oh the edits. I was embarrassed to have even posted them! **

BPOV

This was heaven, pure and simple. I had a naked, breathtakingly handsome eternal being wrapped around me while we lay bathed in the sunlight that managed to break through the canopy of leaves above us. The wind danced across the bare skin of my hip, bringing with it the strong scent of cotton candy and mint… Emmett. I pushed Edward off of me, forgetting my increased strength and sending him flying into a nearby tree. I heard his laughter as I scrambled to find what remained of my clothing so I could cover myself from my brother's prying eyes.

"He is still about three miles away Bella. We have some time." He teased as he brushed bark and dirt off of his chest. I was still getting used to seeing him with my new vampire eyes, and found myself unable to tear my gaze from his body. There was a fine dusting of sawdust covering the red-blond hair on his legs. I had never thought that leg hair could be so…arousing, but then again if Edward had been able to blow his nose I am sure I would find my panties damp after watching that too. If I had ever doubted the depth of my attachment and devotion to Edward before, there was no way to deny those feelings now. I could feel my entire being intertwined with his now. Our lives were like the opposite sides of a coin, different but joined together for eternity. What scared me about that thought was that if one side of the coin was destroyed, the other would have no choice but to follow. We had managed to get away from the Volturi, but if Aro was right, Maria and her army of unpredictable newborn vampires were still headed this way. I had no idea if our family was one of their targets.

I tossed the depressing thoughts aside as Edward sauntered over to me, his iridescent skin throwing crystal-like reflections on the ground and trees. The corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk his nostrils flaring as he noticed the all too obvious scent of my body's reaction to him. I attempted to outmaneuver him by feigning one way while going the other, but my foot got caught on a rock and I went tumbling into the dirt. I could feel the illusion of a blush covering my entire body as I heard the booming laughter emerging from the trees behind me.

"How is it possible that you are still just as clumsy as you were before you were a vamp?" Emmett chuckled as he came barreling through the trees.

This was one time when I was glad Edward was as possessive and jealous as he was, because he had me covered by his torn shirt before Emmett had been able to get a glimpse of me. A deep growl from Edward's chest informed me that Edward had not been as fast as he hoped, and Emmett was replaying his thoughts to him. I picked up a rock from the ground and lobbed it at Emmett's head.

"Cut it out you ass, you know he hates it when you do that!" I reprimanded.

Emmett snapped his feet together and stood up straight, mocking me with a salute. "Ma'am, yes ma'am."

"You know for someone who has flown through nearly every Ivy League University in the country, you sure are an idiot." I said as I got to my feet, adjusting the shirt to minimize boob-peekage.

"Don't forget about Oxford Bella. That is where I got my Doctorate in Sociology. Remember that Edward? You all bet me I couldn't finish without cheating. But I did!" Emmett preened.

"Yes, I remember Emmett. The lot of us had to wash your monstrosity of a car with toothbrushes. I really don't know how you come up with some of these punishments." Edward said as he casually located his magically unharmed boxers and pants. I will never get over how relaxed they all are about being naked around each other. I don't know if that is a boy thing or a vampire thing. Although it could be that Edward had gotten so many glimpses of his family members naked through their thoughts, it did not bother them anymore. I could not imagine that I would ever be that free.

Emmett broke free from reminiscing and turned towards me, his face serious. "Your Dad is starting to come around. We need to decide what we are going to tell him."

I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair, pulling leaves and twigs out with the tangles. I extended my hand to Edward, and we started to run, following after Emmett. I wish I could say that I had been thinking about how to deal with Charlie, but every inch of my new and improved brain had been focused on Edward since we had escaped. I was still unsure as to what he remembered, and was hesitant to share too much information, just to protect him. Edward slowed as we approached a clearing in the trees, a large house visible beyond the foliage.

"Are you going to be ok? We can go back out and hunt some more." He asked, reaching up to pull some more leaves out of my hair.

"I think I'll be fine Edward. If it starts too get hard, I'll give you a signal." I said.

"Can I give you a signal if things get too hard for me?" He smirked. I cocked my head to the side, trying to understand his meaning. He had decades to overcome his bloodlust… oh. _Now I understand. _I reached up and tweaked his nipple, making him squeak.

"Don't be rude. I expected better from you. That sounds like something Emmett would say." I scolded.

"It was something Emmett said. I just said it out loud." He said shyly as he ducked his head. Oh how I like shy Edward.

I pulled him up the stairs and into a large formal living room. There were huge windows covering two walls, making the room feel as if it were being invaded by the green world beyond the glass. The rest of the walls were painted a deep red with bright white trim. Alice, Jasper and Carlisle were all sitting in overstuffed leather couches. I hesitated in the doorway, remembering my inadequate attire. Alice chose that moment to jump from her spot on the couch and drag me from the room. She was suspiciously silent as she pulled me up the stairs and into a room at the end of a long hallway. I could tell immediately that this room was the one that Edward and I would share. There were floor to ceiling bookcases, filled to overflowing with CDs and books. A huge bed sat against one wall, covered in a shimmery gold comforter. Through an open door I could see the attached bathroom had a large shower, perfect for the types of water sports I was hoping to tempt Edward with later.

Alice was standing in front of a set of double doors, vibrating with excitement. I knew what was hiding behind those doors. I had never gotten to make use of the new clothes Alice and I had purchased before I was kidnapped, and I was sure that was what she wanted to show me. She threw open the doors with a flourish and motioned me inside. I had to admit, it was a really great closet. Everything had its own place and I could see she made it really easy for me to dress myself without looking like a bag lady. I gave her free reign to dress me, and I was incased in tight black pants, a gauzy red shirt and sky high red heels. She was throwing around designer's names like it would make a difference to me if I was wearing Christian Louboutin shoes. It felt like a tornado was attacking my head as she brushed and teased my hair into a style she approved of. I was finally released back downstairs after getting the Alice seal of approval. Edward joined me at the bottom of the stairs, now freshly showered and wearing a white button down shirt and charcoal grey pants. I laughed as I saw his feet were covered by black Adidas sneakers. How Alice ever let him wear them was beyond me.

My father was slumped over in a chair in the dinning room, his hand wrapped around a cup of coffee. I could smell each kind of bean that made up that specific blend and would even be able to tell you what country they were from. I could also smell the mouthwatering fragrance of the honey that was running through my Father's veins. Honey was a correct description for it, it was sweet and pungent. I instantly held my breath and reached behind me for the ever present solace I would find in Edward. He held my hand tightly and whispered encouragement into my ear. I turned my head and took one last pain free breath before I went to stand next to my father.

"Dad?" I whispered.

His head snapped up at the somewhat familiar sound of my voice. He stared at my face, no doubt noticing the crimson eyes and unearthly pale skin. His gaze moved to the person standing behind me, his face morphing into a mask of rage.

"What the fuck have you done to my daughter?" He demanded in a pained whisper. Edward moved to answer, but I turned and placed my hand over his open mouth. I pleaded with my eyes, asking him for patience and privacy to speak to my father. I knew he was looking at the differences in my appearance, and comparing them to the monsters who had abducted him. Edward nodded and moved to the doorway, giving me one final look before leaving me and my father alone. I turned back to the first man I ever loved and was horrified to see silent tears trailing down his cheeks. Charlie Swan was not an emotional man, he was steadfast and unwavering. I bit my lip and clenched my hands behind my back. I wanted nothing more than to go and comfort him, but I knew my control was not that strong. Just the blush that was now covering his cheeks in the wake of his outburst was trying the fragile hold I had on my bloodlust.

I took a steadying and painful breath and took a step closer. Charlie quickly wiped his cheeks of the traitor tears, and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Dad. I never wanted you to be dragged into this." I said, my hands moving in a sweeping motion, as if they could encompass all of the fuckery that had happened in the past few days.

"No apologies Bells, I just want some answers. One minute I am on a routine traffic stop and the next I am face to face with the kind of horrors they make really bad movies out of. I just want to understand what is happening." He said, his eyes searching my face for the answers I couldn't give him. The less he knew, the safer he would be.

"Can't I just tell you it was all a bad dream?" I ask, unable to keep the pleading tone from entering my voice.

"Isabella Marie, I want some explanations and I want them now." He demanded, his cop voice coming out.

Inside I cringed at the use of my full name, knowing that he was bringing out the big guns. Outside though, I was able to keep myself calm and think of some way to get out of it. I got distracted when my vampire hearing picked up a conversation from the other room involving Jasper and Carlisle. I think they were trying to give me some hints as to how to deal with Charlie.

"If she were just to let us drug him, we may be able to get him back home without having to disclose any information." Jasper said.

"No. He would never believe this was a dream. Even if it did work, he would end up so shaken that he would demand to see Bella, and then we would still have the same problem." Carlisle said.

"Well, why does she just tell him she got some weird disease that turns her pale and makes the blood vessels in her eyes burst? Then we say that as the disease progresses it turns the victims into insane monsters and that is what he saw in Volterra." Jasper tried.

"There is no such disease." Doctor Carlisle said, unable to keep his vast knowledge of medicine to himself.

"Carlisle please, I know that and you know that, but he will not know that. There is no way she can tell him the truth. The more humans that know about us, the greater the chance they will get hurt when Maria and her troops make their way up from the south." Jasper huffed.

I realized that Jasper was right. There was no way I would be able to tell Charlie the truth. So I told him a lie, and I am a horrible liar.

"Well Charlie, I mean Dad, after I was injured Carlisle and his family took me to Mexico to try some new medical procedure to heal my arm faster. It worked, but while we were down there I contracted um…. Aro's disease, which is an infection that affects the eyes and skin. As the disease progresses, it makes you go insane, which is what you saw happen to the people at that house. It was a holding facility for people with Aro's disease."

His face fell and I could tell he believed me so far. I felt bad for lying to him, but I was going to do anything to keep him safe. "Is there a cure?" He asked.

"No. There is a treatment, but I would have to be isolated for six months for it to work." I said, coming up with the perfect excuse to go missing. If anything happened to me, they would just have to tell him the treatment did not work. He was totally buying it!

"Where will you go for the treatment?" He asked. I drew a blank. The only place I could think of was Narnia. Shit that was not going to work. _Think Bella, think._ A whisper from the other room gave me my answer.

"Switzerland. There is a doctor there that has been working on an experimental treatment for a few years. They think it may be my only hope." I said, reaching up to wipe a non-existent tear from my eye. Good thing us Swans were not emotional people, Charlie just looked away, not knowing what to do with an emotional female.

"So is Dr. Cullen going to take you to Switzerland?" He asked.

"No, I think his son Edward will take me." I said quietly, unable to keep the love from spilling out as his name left my mouth.

"And this Edward, was he the one in here before looking at you like you were something to eat?" He demanded. I could not hold in the laughter as Charlie hit the nail right on the head.

"Yes Dad that was Edward. He loves me and I love him." I said. I could hear his sigh from the next room.

"Well, I think you should bring him back in here and introduce him officially." He said gruffly as he slowly got to his feet. Edward was in the doorway instantly, his hand extended to Charlie.

"Pleasure to meet you Chief Swan. Bella has told me a lot about you." Edward said as Charlie roughly shook Edward's hand. I could tell Charlie was exerting some serious pressure on his hand, and was thankful when Edward feigned a wince, as they released hands.

"Edward, I want you to know I am trusting you with my most precious possession. You treat her well and we will get along fine." Charlie said in his best no-nonsense voice.

Edward looked over at me, pulling me into his chest. "Yes sir."

**A/N: So sweet. Had to get Charlie out of the way. More fun stuff to come in the next few chapters! See you Sunday! **


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Thank you for your reviews for last chapter. I am so excited to have over 400 reviews now! Dalloway5906's sweet little man is sick, so this chapter has not had her expert touch. Any mistakes/errors are mine. I re-posted chapter 1 after Dally gave it a once over. It reads much better now. I will be doing chapter 2 as well.

**BPOV**

Carlisle was standing at the doorway before I could blink. Jasper must have let him know my control was wearing thin. I could feel the scorching flames every time I took a breath of Charlie-scented air.

"Bella, your plane leaves shortly. I would be glad to take Chief Swan back to Forks if that would be agreeable with you sir." Carlisle said, his manners perfected after decades of practice.

"Well that sounds fine with me Dr. Cullen." Charlie said gruffly. His eyes never left Edward's hand that was wrapped possessively around my waist. He moved forward, as if to give me a hug. We Swans were not emotional people. I could count on one hand the times Charlie had given me a hug. Hell I could just use three fingers. My expression must have warned him that a hug right now would not be a good idea. My body was nearly trembling with the force of controlling myself and the hand Edward was embracing me with was there more as a restraint than a caress.

"I'll have Carlisle keep you updated Dad." I whispered as I leaned into Edward's body, hoping his familiar scent would help to mask the alluring fragrance that was oozing out of Charlie's pores.

"Thanks Bells. You take care of her, you hear me Edmund." Charlie said.

"Come on Dad, its Edward. He is going to be your son-in-law eventually, you should try and keep his name straight." I said, exasperated. I froze as I felt the fine tremor run through Edward's body and heard the two female gasps from the other room. _Shit, did I just say that out loud?_

I turned shocked eyes to Edward, who's normally golden eyes were coal black. Was he angry? Was this not something that he had thought about? I knew we were rushing things and I would have been the first to say that I was too young to get married. But this was not a normal relationship or a normal life for that matter. We were still going to have to deal with whatever was coming with Maria, and I had no idea if the Volturi were going to come after us as retribution for Aro's death. I wanted to join my life and future with Edward in the most basic way a man and woman could.

Edward swallowed stiffly and slowly brought my hand to his lips. He kissed the fourth finger on my left hand, his eyes never leaving my face. My breath was trapped in my chest as I saw the promise reflected in his eyes. He dropped my hand and slowly brought his palm up to my face, his smooth fingers running over my cheek.

"My precious girl, there is nothing more in this world I would rather do than to marry you and spend the rest of eternity showing you how you have changed my life." He whispered, dropping a chaste kiss upon my parted lips. Our breath mingled as our faces stayed inches apart. We were completely oblivious to our audience until Charlie cleared his throat loudly. We jumped apart and I raised embarrassed eyes to our respective fathers who were standing awkwardly in the doorway. I could see Esme and Alice jumping up and down in the other room, their excitement evident. I was going to have to put my foot down with those two before I ended up having to wear sky high heels and an uncomfortable coture gown.

"I'll just be heading out now. Are you ready Chief Swan?" Carlisle asked, and I looked at him, grateful that he was able to diffuse the situation. Charlie waved as he followed Carlisle out the door to find wherever they had parked the car. All I wanted to do was to take advantage of that giant shower with Edward and then crawl into …. shit. Can't crawl into bed, I can't sleep. I realized that I did not feel the least bit tired, but craved the familiarity of snuggling into a comfy bed and the ability to let my mind completely relax. My mood plummeted as I realized there were a million new things I needed to understand and start to accept about my new life.

Before I had time to really get into my pity party, I was attacked by two bundles of excitement. Edward had moved to the side in time to be spared their elation. They threw their arms around me and jumped up and down, bringing me with them.

"When do you want to do it? Do you want to have the ceremony in a church? Good thing that cross thing is a myth! Who do you want to be maid of honor, or I guess it should be matron of honor, because whoever you pick is already married." Good thing Alice did not need to breathe, because she would be dead after that mile a minute speech.

"Alice, one thing at a time girl. First off, no church. I think we can start planning whenever we want. I don't know what to do about bridesmaids and maids or matrons of honor. I had some good friends back home, maybe I should call them and see if they are busy." I teased. My words had the desired effect as her face fell and some of her jubilation decreased.

"Ok Bella, whatever you want. We have all gotten our dream weddings several times over. This should be whatever you want." She said quietly as Esme wrapped her arm around Alice's tiny shoulder. I guess I was a better faker than I thought. I put a hand on both Esme and Alice's shoulders, giving them each a little shake.

"I was kidding. There is no one I would rather have standing next to me than you both and Rosalie. "Their faces brightened and I was happy I was joining their family. After another round of hugs and jumping, Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me into the hallway.

"Bella, there is still another matter to discuss." He said, his face serious. My mind search for what he could be talking about. I knew we had to get Charlie settled as soon as possible before he became suspicious, but we had done that. What else did we have to worry about right now?

Hushed whispers and a wet thumping sound invaded my thoughts and I suddenly realized that we still had to deal with Angela. Where was she? Was she safe? Edward must have seen the alarm on my face because he was quick to reassure me.

"She is upstairs playing with Emmett and Rose. She is fine. We need to figure out what we are going to do with her." He said, as he rubbed soothing circles up and down my back.

"We need to take her home. She is a tough kid, I think if we explain that she needs to forget everything that has happened she will believe it." I said, praying that the shit I was spouting could possibly happen. I knew if I had been in her shoes I would never be able to forget the fuckery that I had witnessed in that house. I was amazed that she was holding it together at all.

"I think you may be right. According to Emmett she has been asking for you. She keeps calling you 'her hero.'" He said, pride coloring his words.

I was no one's hero. The only thing I did was keep her safe, which is what anyone would do for a child. I reached up for a kiss, unable to help myself when he was looking at me with those big golden eyes.

"Let's go see her." I said as I pulled him towards the stairs.

"Don't you think you should go hunt first? Jasper said you were having some real difficulty towards the end with your father." He said as he tried to steer me towards the door.

"Dude, she is a kid, I got this." I said, shrugging off his hand and starting up the stairs. I turned around, expecting him to follow but found he was still standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Um, Edward, are you coming with me?"

"Did you… did you just call me 'dude'?" He asked, his beautiful face a mask of confusion. I could not hold in the laughter, and realized that there was laughter coming from both floors out of the mouths of both Emmett and Jasper.

"I'm so sorry Edward. I often forget that you are from the 'old school.'" His face turned vicious as I continued to mock him. I was actually afraid for a second before he started up the stairs and pulled me in for a scorching kiss. When he finally came up for air he was back to his old self.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing Bella. I was just not expecting you to call me that. Let's go take care of Angela. If you feel strong enough to resist her then I will trust you." He said as he dragged me up the rest of the stairs.

We entered a room at the end of the hall, and I was surprised to see Rosalie stretched out on the floor coloring with Angela. Rose was such a hard-ass, I could never imagine her having a soft spot for children, let alone one who smelled as delicious as Angela. Her head jerked up as we entered the room, no doubt surprised that I would be aloud entry in my newborn state.

"Hey Angela." I said quietly as she looked up from her book to see what had caught Rose's attention. I was unprepared for her as she launched herself at me, grabbing hold of my pants as she wrapped her little arms around my legs.

"Oh Bella, I am so glad to see you! I was worried I would not get to see you before I left to go home." She squealed as she clung tighter to me. I looked up at Edward, praying he would help me get her off of me. I said I was not going to hurt her, but I was not going to push it.

Edward calmly detached Angela from her death grip on my legs and handed her to Rosalie, who looked more then happy to snuggle the little girl. Angela turned her angelic face to Emmett who was cleaning up the fallen crayons from the floor.

"You ready to head back home kido?" He asked.

"Yes I am." She said as she struggled in Rose's grip. I could see a silent conversation happening between the other vampires in the room. No doubt they were trying to see if Edward thought it was safe to have me around Angela. They were totally going to pay for that later. Edward hunkered down next to Rose and Angela.

"Ok Angela. Do you remember what Emmett and Rose told you about what you need to tell your parents?" He asked, reaching out to smooth her hair down. My heart stuttered as I watched his innate fatherly gesture towards the little girl. I must have made a sound, because Rose's eyes flew to mine, her gaze filled with regret. She knew first hand what it felt like to have decades pass with the yearning ache for children go unfulfilled. I felt a new bond with her, knowing that we will both be denied something that was ingrained deep in our souls.

"Yes Edward, I remember. You can count on me, I will not let you down. Bella saved my life, I will never forget that." She said as she turned her soulful blue eyes to mine.

"Ok darling, Esme will take you home and drop you off a few streets away from your house. You are to tell your parents you ran away, but got scared and wanted to come home. You have only been gone a few hours, it should be believable." He said as he rose from the floor and returned to my side. The child extricated herself from Rose's grip and made her way over to us. She looked so happy to be going home and I was glad I had been able to master my shield in time to save her.

"Thank you so much for saving me Bella. I will never forget you." She said as she extended her tiny hand. My cold hand enveloped her warm flesh as I shook her hand and gave her a small smile.

"I think you have that wrong Angela, it was you who saved me."

**A/N: I will be participating in the June Fandom Gives Back Auction. Keep an eye out for information. As soon as they release the site info I will post it here.**

**If you are an A/J fan (Or even if you are not) go and read shalu's **_**Down the Rabbit Hole**_**. It is complete and oh so good. I am not really an A/J fan, but this story is awesome and let me tell you, a cowboy hat in the bathtub has never sounded better! **


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Dalloway5906 was a saint and Beta'd this even though her little man is still feeling yucky. We all owe her a big hug! We get some Edward in this chapter, he was bugging me to talk again! Enjoy! **

**BPOV**

Watching Esme drive away with Angela chatting happily in the backseat left me feeling empty. I knew she was meant to go home, there was no way she could stay here with our family, but watching her leave felt like I was losing my own child. I was looking forward to peeking in on her in the coming years, getting to watch her grow into the strong, self-assured woman I knew she would become.

Always in tuned to my emotions, Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his long fingers grazing my nipples as he turned and sighed into my ear. A tremor radiated through my body, pulling a deep rumble from his chest. I really think he was documenting every one of my body's reactions to him. The breathing in the ear thing would have to be placed further up on his list, because I really enjoyed that. His warm breath carried words of love and adoration, which quickly turned dirtier as he started to smell my arousal. I could feel his excitement as he pulled me into an embrace, thrusting his hips against mine. I was worried that 'old school' Edward was never going to be able to loosen up, but he was quickly surprising me. He was very cerebral, always taking the time to think things through before he acted. While I admired him for that, I also wanted him to just throw away his inhibitions and follow his instincts, much like he had when we made love in the woods.

"Ah my beautiful Bella, do you have any idea the kinds of things I want to do to you?" He groaned, causing me to shiver against him.

"Tell me, please. I need to know how much you want me." I moaned. My brain tried to alert me to the fact that we were still standing in the driveway, in plain sight of anyone who was in the house, but I was forced to push it aside when Edward slid his very talented tongue over the shell of my ear. _Oh, add that to the list as well._

"I want you naked and up against a wall." He said as he ran his fingers up under the hem of my shirt.

"I want you in the shower to wash every inch of your body while the warm water is cascading down your flesh." He whispered as his fingers inched closer to the front clasp of my bra.

"I want you spread before me like a feast, your hands tied to the bed frame." He breathed as he deftly released the clasp and tugged on my bare nipples.

"I want you down on your knees with my cock in between your soft, pink lips." He growled as he pulled his hands from under my shirt and threw me over his shoulder. I had barely formed the words to tell him to stop when he released me, and I discovered that we now stood in the privacy of our own room.

I slowly backed away from him, feeling like I was being preyed upon by the world's most successful hunter. My body thrummed with excitement, knowing that I had incited this level of intensity in him. My knees hit the bed and I sat down hard as Edward followed me. I sat, staring up into his large black eyes. His nostrils were flared, taking in every scent that was permeating the room. I could feel the moisture saturating my panties and worried that the bed would have a damp spot when I stood. Edward slowly lowered himself to his knees, pulling my shoe clad feet into his lap. He quickly released the strap and slid the heel from one foot, repeating the action with the second one. I had been ticklish when I was still human, but as he slid his nail up the instep of my foot, it was not a laugh, but a moan that poured from my lips. His hands made quick work of my pants, tearing them and my panties from my body in one motion. He ripped my shirt off of my body, leaving me bare except for my bra which was hanging open, my breasts spilling out.

As I shrugged out of my bra, I suddenly felt shy with Edward above me, still dressed. He pulled my wrists into one of his large ones as I tried to cover myself and suctioned his mouth to mine, erasing my mind of anything but the smell and taste and feel of Edward. My hands were still imprisoned in one of Edward's, but I managed to use my feet to inch his pants down his legs until he was able to kick them off. I did the same with his boxer briefs, and had them pushed down to mid thigh when suddenly he shifted and slid into me. My back arched off of the bed as I cried out into his mouth. He took my cries and added his own as he started to thrust into me. I wrapped my legs around his hips as his hand pushed mine into the pillow above my head. His other hand was trailing up and down my side, grazing the side of my breast, making me pant like a dog.

I raised my head, nipping at the sharp edge of his jaw as his hand covered my aching nipple, his fingers tugging at it, sending shockwaves coursing through my body. I wanted this to go on forever at the same time I needed it to end. The electricity surging between us was palpable and I could feel my body start to rise, reaching for the climax that was just out of reach. Sensing that I needed something extra to push me over the edge, Edward latched his lips to mine, as he ground his hips against my own, thrusting deeply. My vision blurred and my breath stilled in my chest as my orgasm hit. I could feel my muscles tightening on Edward's length as he struggled to keep moving. I pulled away slightly so I could use my teeth to suck his full lower lip into my mouth, knowing it would pull him over with me. Completely spent, we lay content in the aftermath of our love.

**EPOV**

I would never tire of this woman. After she dragged my deepest fantasies out of me, she proceeded to pull all of the strength from my body. I was a puddle of satisfied goo. She was breaking me down, forcing me to 'act my age' as she liked to put it. She had a hard time dealing with my overprotective and sometimes overbearing sense of modesty. Even though I had lived through several decades, the values instilled in me by my mother in the early 1900's were the ones foremost in my mind. Bella was a lady, and I wanted to treat her as such. My mother would have been appalled at the things I said and the way I treated my beloved Bella today. Just remembering the things I told her made me feel guilty.

I could not regret what happened between us. It was beautiful to watch her let herself go in my arms. To know that she was comfortable enough with me to share her deepest desires, and know that I would fulfill them. I understood why it took Emmett and Rose nearly a decade to get themselves under control. When they would disappear for months at a time I wondered what could be keeping them so occupied that they could not be bothered to socialize with their family. Now, holding Bella in my arms in the aftermath of our lovemaking, I understood. I wanted nothing more than to be able to spirit her away to a deserted island or isolated cabin high in the wilderness. There would be no one to hear us for miles. I could immerse myself in her body, making every one of her fantasies come true. Even thinking about it had me hardening again. I shift my hips away from Bella, not wanting her to think I was disrespecting her.

Her quiet giggle brought me back to reality as I pulled her shoulder to roll her towards me. Her face was split in a huge grin and her laughter only got louder as she looked up at me.

"What is so funny?" I asked.

"You." She smirked, as she reached up and brushed a tangle of hair off of my forehead.

"What about me?"

"You think too much." She said, running her fingertip around one of my nipples.

"What does that mean?" I said, getting frustrated by her cryptic answers.

If I had not been so distracted by trying to figure out what Bella was talking about, I would have heard Alice's thought screaming at me as she approached our room.

_Edward get dressed. Edward get dressed. They are coming. Hurry, please get dressed. I really don't want to see you both post-coital and naked. GET DRESSED!_

I heard the last command and quickly pulled the sheet up to cover Bella as I grabbed my jeans from the floor. I had just zipped up when Alice came flying through the door.

"How long?" I asked as I straightened my shirt and Alice threw jeans and a shirt to Bella.

"Ten minutes max. They keep changing their plan of attack. Right now I am not sure which direction they will arrive from." She said as she threw a sneaker at an unprepared Bella and it smacked her in the head as she struggled to get into her shirt.

"Stop right now before I get a concussion from the flying footwear. Who is coming?" Bella demanded, as she pulled up her jeans.

I turned to Alice, hoping that she would relay her vision to Bella, but she just planted her hands on her tiny hips and nodded her head in my direction.

"Victoria is coming Bella. She has enlisted Alec and Jane to try and get her revenge for what we did to James." I said.

"What happened to the rest of the Volturi?" She asked quietly as she stuffed her feet into the shoes Alice had tossed to her.

"From what I have been able to see, Jane and Alec joined Victoria to help try and destroy you after you showed them up in front of Aro." Alice said calmly.

"But Aro is dead. Why should they care?" Bella interrupted.

"They have never had anyone best them Bella. They are not used to failure. Since their gifts did not work, they will try anything else to try and defeat you." Alice responded.

"Do we have to worry about anyone else coming after me? Are Demetri and Felix pissed that they did not get their pound of flesh before I left?" Bella snarked.

"Most of the Volturi have left the country. The only ones who keep popping up in my visions are Corin and Marcus, but I can't tell what they are doing." Alice said, obviously frustrated.

"Have you told the rest of the family yet?" I asked as I put on my shoes and helped Bella to her feet.

"Emmett and Rose are off hunting and Esme has not returned from taking Angela home. Carlisle went back to Forks for his shift at the hospital. Jasper is downstairs trying to come up with a way to keep them out of the house. With only three of them we should be able to fight them off, especially with Bella's newborn strength." She said confidently.

I was not as confident as I realized that Alice did not comprehend how dangerous Alec and Jane's gifts could be. With just one look Jane could have you writhing in pain on the floor and Alec could take all of your senses away, leaving you adrift in a sea of darkness. Bella's shield was an option, but I knew if she tried to protect any of us, it would leave her vulnerable. I would not let that happen. She was going to have to be my number one priority.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the sexin' cause that should be the last of it till the epi. Big stuff coming. Thanks so much for all of your reviews! Keep them coming, they make my day!**


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Thank you to Dalloway5906 who fixes my errors and lets me know when I am being too goofy. Thank you to the few of you who reviewed last chapter. If I start to suck, you guys need to let me know, that is the only way for me to improve! Love you all!**

**BPOV**

We stood in the living room, waiting. I could feel the tension vibrating through the room even though Jasper was fighting hard to keep everyone's emotions in check.

"How long Alice?" Edward asked, his hand tightening around my waist.

"They keep changing their minds. I think they should be coming through the trees over there in another minute." She said, gesturing out the window towards where the forest met the gravel driveway.

"Has anything changed yet darlin'?" Jasper asked as he rubbed his lips against Alice's temple.

"No, it is still the same outcome." She whispered and I felt a shudder ripple thorough Edward. He had seen Alice's vision, but refused to tell me what she saw. I knew they had told Jasper what to expect and it just pissed me off even more that I was being kept in the dark.

"You know if you tell me what to expect, I will be of much more help." I said, trying to struggle away from Edward's grasp. His arms were like steel bands around my waist, and even with my newborn strength I had a hard time getting free. My agitation increased the more I tried to get away, and I could feel my panic rising. _What were they not telling me? Was someone going to die? Was Edward going to die?_

"Bella, no." He breathed, as I started to really freak out.

Jasper moved away from Alice and tried to get me to calm down.

"Bella, sweets you don't want to know. We will do everything we can to keep Alice's vision from happening." Jasper could feel the emotions pouring out of me and he cringed back as the waves of devastation and fear hit him.

I was still fighting to get free from Edward's grip when suddenly Alice started screaming. I froze, whipping my head around as I watched my sister drop to the ground like someone shot her. I knew what that meant as I twisted my head back around to the windows and watched as three figures emerged from the trees. Victoria, in all her flaming glory was in the lead with Jane and Alec following behind. I could tell by the complete concentration etched on Jane's face that she was the reason for Alice's distress. Jasper ran to try and console Alice, but stopped suddenly, his entire body going limp as he crumbled to the ground. One look at Alec showed me that he was using his nasty gift to keep Jasper out of the way.

Victoria whispered something to the twins and they held back, staying on the driveway while she kept walking up to the door. I was trying to keep Edward behind me, knowing that if I was able to maintain contact with him I would be able to cover us both with my shield.

"Oh how sweet, the lovebirds have reunited. I am just so happy for you." She snarked as she came waltzing through the open door. She planted a swift kick in Jaspers side as she passed him lying on the floor. He jumped and a low moan tore from his chest. I was thankful that I was in front of Edward so I could hold him back as he tried to lunge for Victoria.

"No no little Edward. We can't have you losing your temper. You need to keep a level head so that after I destroy your little Bella, I will be able to leave you grieving in peace. I want you to feel the same kind of heartache I have felt everyday since you killed my James." She said as she strolled past Alice, who was still writhing in pain.

I had no idea what her plan was. There was no way she would be able to take us both. She was an idiot to think that I would sit by calmly and let her kill me. _Crazy bitch, I think all of the red hair dye has leeched into her brain._

"Ok Bella, time to go now." She said as she gestured for me to join her.

"Are you fucking crazy?" I said, really wishing I had gotten a brain-to-mouth filter when I changed into a vampire.

"No Bella, I think you will do whatever I want." She said before turning her head and yelling out the door. "Riley!"

I shook my head, trying to figure out what was going on. Alice had never seen anyone else. How could they have gotten past Alice's visions? My thoughts stalled as I watched a blond vampire glide through the trees, his arm wrapped around the neck of a very someone very familiar.

"Esme!" I yelled and now it was Edward's turn to hold me back.

"You see, I took some precautions. I knew there was no way that you would come along willingly. Riley followed her when she went to take the child back. Don't worry, the girl made it back home safe and sound. I can't say the same about dear old Mommy." She said as she waved her hand towards Riley, and knowing what she wanted he released Esme only to swiftly wrench her arm from her body. Her screams filled the air as I watched her drop to the ground, clutching her armless side. Riley threw her arm towards the door, and it landed with a wet thump on the floor.

"I'll go. Please, just leave my family alone." I whispered as I tried to pull Edward's fingers from my arm, trying to look anywhere but his rich golden eyes.

"No Bella, please. You know Esme would never want this." He pleaded, desperately trying to get me to look at him.

"I know Edward. But I would never want our family to suffer if there was any way I could stop it." I whispered as I finally looked up into his face. My breath caught as I looked at the pain that was clearly etched on his face. I leaned up and placed my lips upon his, giving him one last kiss.

"I love you. I don't even think that eternity would have been enough for me to show you how much you mean to me." I breathed as I finally got my arm free from his grip and turned around to face Victoria.

"Leave my family alone and I will go with you." I said, trying to keep my emotions under control. I knew if I let myself look at Alice or Esme still crying out in pain, or poor Jasper trapped in darkness, I would lose it.

"Oh please, you lead the way." She said as she ushered me out the door. "Riley, keep lover boy busy so Bella and I can have some girl time."

As I walked down the stairs and onto the driveway, movement in the trees caught my attention. I was only able to catch a glimpse of familiar brown hair before I watched the figure descend on Alec, who was still distracted trying to keep Jasper under his control. Before anyone could move, Alec's head was torn from his body and it went flying through the air towards his sister. I heard Jasper's exclamation as his senses were returned and he and Edward tried to take down Riley. Jane jumped as Alec's head hit her right in the face. I knew the minute she recognized her twin's head because she started to scream. Her cries pierced the air as Alice finally quieted inside the house. A streak of blonde flashed before Jane's screams were cut short as her neck was snapped just as her brother's had been.

Only seconds had passed, but in that time Alec and Jane had been taken care of and I hoped that Edward and Jasper had been able to deal with Riley. I spun around to look at Victoria. Her face was a mask of rage. All of her plans were falling apart around her. Her hands flew up, burying themselves in her mass of fiery curls.

"Why? Why can't you just die already?" She screamed as she released her hair and flew towards me. I had no experience fighting and was too distracted to try and use my shield. As she raced towards me, all I could see was Esme's face as Riley tore her arm off. They had hurt my mother, my brother and my sister. It was time to defend my family.

I braced myself as Victoria hit me, her momentum throwing us backwards. I twisted in the air, managing to flip us over so I landed on top of Victoria. Her hands wrapped around my throat, tightening painfully. I squeezed my thighs around her ribs while trying to pry her hands from around my neck. I could feel her fingers loosing as I continued to apply pressure to her ribs. She screamed in frustration as I was finally able to remove her hands, and slowly crushed her fingers between mine. She launched her head up and bashed me in the forehead, catching me by surprise. My grip on her hands slipped and she used the freedom to push me off of her. I landed hard on my back, the gravel of the driveway grinding against my spine. I was blinded by red hair before I felt ripping pain flow through my chest. I had never felt that kind of agony. I looked up through the mass of curls to see Victoria trying to force her hand through the bone and muscles of my chest. Her fingers were digging through my granite skin and I screamed as she was able to breach my flesh. I pulled my knee up and planted my foot in her chest, throwing her off me. My skin was quickly mending, but the pain was excruciating as the muscles and nerves reattached.

Victoria was running back towards me as I slowly got to my feet. I could feel the fatigue gripping me and worried that I would not be able to hold her off much longer. I quickly jumped onto the low branch of the tree above me, hoping I could buy myself some time while my chest healed. The second my feet hit the tree, Victoria was next to me. Her red eyes were frantic. I tried to access my shield, but between the overwhelming fatigue and the pain, it kept slipping through my grasp. Hands gripped my hair tightly as Victoria pulled me down and swung me out of the tree. I hit the ground hard and Victoria was standing on my chest before I could even try to get up.

"Getting tired aren't you. Newborns may have great strength, but they also have terrible stamina." She said as she reached down and plunged her fingers into my nearly healed chest.

"I think since he ripped my heart from my chest when your Edward killed James, I should do the same thing. I might even let Edward keep your heart as a reminder after I burn you alive." She whispered as her fingers dug into my chest. I could feel her poking through my ribs, and I gathered all my strength to do the only thing I could.

"Edward. I love you." I cried as I felt her rip my ribs apart. My vision blurred as the pain became too much and all I could hear was my own screams.

**EPOV**

When Jasper shouted when his senses were returned, we did not hesitate as we descended on young Riley. I could tell that Victoria had fed him lies in order to keep him in line. He was such a love sick little puppy, he would do anything she commanded. Jasper took one side and I had the other as we immobilized his arms. Alice finally quieted and gathered herself up off the floor. She looked around dazed, and noticed us holding Riley captive. She did not hesitate in jumping up on his back and swiftly twisting his head from his spine. I reveled in the sound of his bones cracking. I had watched with Bella as he ripped my mother's arm from her body. Not only had I been forced to witness that, I had also been able to hear Esme's thoughts as it was happening. She was trying to tell me not to worry, to make sure I kept Bella safe no matter what. I knew that once Bella had witnessed what they had done to Esme, there was nothing I could do to stop her. When she pulled herself from my arms, I felt like my soul was going with her. I knew that if something happened to her, I would not hesitate in demanding that my brothers allowed me to follow her in death.

With Riley taken care of, we moved onto the porch in time to see Victoria throw Bella out of a tree, her tiny body hitting the ground hard. Victoria landed on Bella's chest, leaning down to whisper as she pushed her hand against Bella's chest. I started to move forward, but was halted by Alice's tiny hands against my chest.

"Alice, what is going on?" I demanded as I struggled to move past her.

"Just wait Edward." She said as she motioned for Jasper to help her hold me back.

I looked down at her as I heard Bella's screaming declaration of love, my mind sifting through her visions to find out what she had seen that would allow her to keep me from helping Bella. I had just latched onto the vision when Bella's screaming was silenced. I looked up in time to see Victoria go sprawling across the driveway. Bella was lying, unmoving in the dirt and suddenly I was alone on the porch. Alice and Jasper had Victoria locking in their grip as I slowly descended the stairs and made my way over to Bella. I looked up into the face of the person standing guard over my love. Venom dripped from the wound on her shoulder and her arm lay in the dirt next to her, but my mother had never looked so beautiful to me.

Emmett and Rose came running through the trees.

"Did you see that? That was amazing!" Emmett yelled as he carefully picked up our mother and swung her around in a circle. "You totally kicked ass Mom. I can't believe you hit her with your own arm. Didn't that hurt?" He asked as he set her back on her feet.

I kneeled down next to Bella as she slowly opened her eyes. Her chest was gaping open, her lungs and heart visible through the wound. I kissed her lips gently as I pulled her skin together to try and help the healing along. I could hear her hissing breath as the venom started to mend the skin and bone. She opened her eyes and looked up at Esme.

"Thanks so much Esme, I really needed an extra hand." She said, trying to laugh through the pain. I was still waiting for the pain in my chest to ease. I had come entirely too close to losing Bella today.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed all of the action. Only more drama to come. Instead of me giving you a recommendation, I want to know what you are reading. Tell me what fic you are reading right now when you review! See you Wednesday. **


	32. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Thank you to Dalloway5906, who struggled through this chapter while her laptop screen was being a total douche! The chapter came out of nowhere! I totally had something else planned, but this is what came out. Don't hate me.**

BPOV

Watching Esme's arm re-attach itself was probably the most disgusting thing I had ever witnessed. After my chest finished the very painful process of repairing itself, Edward gently helped me to my feet, never fully releasing me from his embrace. Alice and Jasper were still holding a struggling Victoria captive as we all watched Emmett carefully hold Esme's arm up to her body and the nerves, veins and muscles jumped from her body towards the severed limb. As the muscles found their other half, her arm suddenly pulled itself back onto her body with a sucking sound, and the skin started to mend. Esme was trying hard to stay silent, not wanting to let us know how painful the process was. I think she would have succeeded in keeping her agony from showing if Carlisle had not arrived.

His black Mercedes hummed down the driveway and skidded to a stop as he saw the four of us huddled around Esme and his other two children fighting against a vicious red head. He was at her side before the engine had finished shutting down. His face melted into a truly heartbroken look as he watched Esme's face contort in pain. I could tell that he was devastated that he had not been here to comfort her. I was finally able to relax as her wound looked like it was nearly closed. I dropped my head onto Edward's chest, breathing in his familiar scent and letting it sooth me. A brutal scream and loud snapping sound made me jerk my head up as I watched a nearly catatonic Esme collapse into Carlisle's arms.

"Her bone had to re-set itself." Edward breathed into my ear as he turned us away from the others. I knew if he had his way, we would already be inside and he would be sinking me into a bubble bath. But Esme was going through this pain because of me. Victoria came after me, and Esme was hurt as a result of that. How could I run away from her pain just because I did not want to witness it?

"Is it finished yet?" I whispered, my voice hoarse from the beating my lungs had suffered.

"Yes, she will be slightly sore, like you are." He said, trying subtly to remind me that Esme was not the only one to be injured today.

"What are we going to do with Victoria?" I asked, turning in Edward's arms to look at my siblings and parents. I was glad to see that Esme had gone from corpse pale back to her normal mostly-dead pale.

"We need to destroy her and set them all ablaze." Rose snarled. I knew she was very protective of Esme since she was the first born daughter.

"There really is no other choice Bella. She would only come back again if we released her." Carlisle said as he helped Esme to her feet.

"I know how much it hurts for you to be the one who is forced to decide who lives and who dies, but Bella, she really does need to die." Esme said quietly, holding her newly healed arm against her chest.

Edward gave me a squeeze as he looked over to Alice and Jasper. Jasper concentrated hard as he released a wave of calm over the area, making my entire body relax. I could see that since Jasper was touching Victoria, the emotion was magnified and she looked like she about to go to sleep. Without a word, Emmett walked behind them and swiftly snapped Victoria's head off. The entire thing only took a few seconds. As Jasper released his emotional hold on the group, Rose and Emmett gathered up Victoria's body and head while Alice and Jasper went out to get the remnants of Alec and Jane.

"Will you be all right if I go in and gather Riley's body?" Edward said quietly.

"I'll be fine Edward. Let's just get this done so we can get cleaned up." I said as I tugged at the sticky venom that was covering my shredded shirt. I felt bereft as Edward left me. My knees weakened, and I slowly walked across the driveway to sit on a large rock at the edge of the tree line. Carlisle had Esme completely encased in his arms. I could see the slight tremor running through his body as he realized how close he came to losing her. They had been together for nearly a century and yet their love was still as strong as if they had just professed it. I was awed to realize that vampire emotions could run so deep. It made me giddy to think that what I was feeling for Edward was only going to get stronger, that there would never be a day that I did not think of him and know that we were meant to be together.

I think if I had not been so distracted I would have heard her approach or I would have at least heard Alice's shouting. But I was so wrapped up in thinking of my future with Edward, I was oblivious to everything. A slender arm suddenly locked around my throat. Her breath was coming in short bursts against my temple as she tightened her grip. I could see Esme and Carlisle staring at us as Edward came running onto the porch, no doubt having seen what was happening through everyone's thoughts. I could see Alice and Jasper return, carrying the headless bodies with them. They dropped their cargo into the pile of heads and limbs that Rose and Emmett had assembled. If I had not known better, I would have thought it was a bunch of mannequins.

Carlisle, always the ambassador, approached us carefully. I could see Edward trying to inch his way off of the porch, but my captor tightened her grip further at his movements, making me gasp. He stopped moving and simply watched as she pulled me up off of the rock and walked us backwards into the cover of the trees.

"Just tell us what you want, and we will do our best to make that happen." Carlisle said in his calming doctor voice.

"I want her to make it go away. She forced it back onto me and I want it to stop." She breathed, as I finally realized who had me captive.

"Corin, I'm sorry. I have no idea how I was able to flip your gift." I said, my voice only a whisper as she had her arm pulled tight against my throat.

"You need to make it stop. They are all I can see. They are taunting me, always together in my mind. Even though I killed them centuries ago, they are still able to cause me pain. Please, make it stop." She begged as I felt her arm tighten even further. Black spots flashed in front of my eyes as she came very close to popping my head from my body like a child would a dandelion.

"Please." Edward whispered from where he stood on the porch. I could see his face through the floating spots and I knew that if I were to die he would find some way to follow. My love for him seemed to grow even stronger, knowing that what we had would find a way to even transcend death.

"Please? You have the audacity to say please? I saw the visions that she saw of you, you with that blonde. The visions I project always have some truth in them." She screamed as she brought her other hand up and pointed a shaking finger at him.

"Oh shit." I heard Emmett whisper as if he understood what Corin was talking about. My eyes flew from Edward to Emmett to Rose, knowing that those three would not be able to keep the truth from showing on their faces. Edward looked devastated, Emmett looked shocked and Rose just looked pissed as she glared at Edward.

"I can see that your family knows what I am talking about. Why don't you tell Bella about it?" She demanded as she motioned Edward forward. He looked shameful and frightened as he approached us and I felt my chest tightening with each step. What would he say? Anything he could tell me happened in the past. He was with me now. I did not tell him about the fumbling caresses Mike Newton and I shared in the back seat of his car. Nor did I tell him about the time I got so drunk I ended up kissing Lauren Mallory at her 18th birthday party. Even though his past was decades longer than mine, we both had one.

"I don't care." I rasped as he stood in front of me. His head whipped up as he stared at me.

"What do you mean you don't care? He must have done something with this girl. You never know if he will get tired of you and leave you for her. You have the right to know!" She cried, her arm getting tighter as her fury got stronger.

"He loves me now. He will always love me." I breathed as my vision wavered.

She threw me down to the ground and stomped her foot on my chest over and over. My already abused body jerked in pain. I could hear Edward's shouts and knew that his brothers were trying to hold him back.

"Here lover boy, feel what she felt, what I feel." Corin shouted as Edward's screams cut through the haze in my mind. I knew she was showing him the kinds of lies she had forced into my head. The pain of having your heart broken over and over again was agony.

I reached deep inside myself and grabbed my shield. Knowing that Edward was suffering motivated me more than any other thing could. I did not use my shield on myself, instead choosing to protect Edward from Corin's assault. I felt it glide away from me and knew that I had succeeded when Edward fell silent. Corin stopped stomping on me as she realized what had happened. She leaned down into my face and pulled me up by my shirt.

"You choose to protect him over yourself?" She demanded.

"I love him." I breathed, my head lolling back on my neck.

"After he lied to you? After he betrayed your trust you still love him?" She asked.

"What happened in his past, was left in his past. He belongs to me now." I said simply, and I knew in my heart that it was the truth.

"You stupid child, with a vampire's memory he will never be able to leave something in his past. It will always be there bouncing around in his mind. He will always remember what she felt like, what she smelled like. You will be just a pale reminder of what she was to him." She sneered.

"No. You are wrong." Edward said calmly as he pulled himself up from the ground. Corin's steps faltered as she slowly backed away from me.

"I'm sorry for what your husband and sister did to you, but not everyone is like that." I said as Emmet ran over and wrapped Corin in his giant arms. She was shaking and sobbing as she realized that I was not going to be able to help her get rid of her horrible memories. Carlisle joined Emmett and Corin and together they took her into the house. I hoped that they would be able to help her, but she might be broken beyond repair.

Then finally I was back in Edward's arms. I knew that after being tortured with Corin's gift, he would need to be reassured, and I was more than willing to give him that. He gently gathered me into his arms and turned to walk into the house. Over his shoulder I watched Rose toss a lit match onto the pile of vampires. The acrid, purple smoke drifted up into the sky and I turned my face into Edward's neck and breathed in his scent. He released me from his arms only after he had started the water in the tub. He put me, clothes and all, into the soothing water. He moved away only far enough to remove his clothes before joining me. Together we managed to peel the wet fabric from my body and soon I was as bare as he was. I wanted to know what visions Corin had given him, but was too nervous to ask.

"What did she show you?" He whispered in my ear as he ran a sea sponge down my arms.

"You were with a blonde vampire. She was beautiful." I said, turning my head to run my tongue across his jaw.

"It was Tanya." He said, his voice emotionless.

"Who is Tanya?" I breathed, not trusting myself to speak any louder.

"She is one of the Denalis. She and her sisters live in Alaska. They are vegetarians as well. At one time, Carlisle and Esme had hoped that she would become my mate." He said, his hand moving from my arm to my shoulders.

"What happened?" I said, bile rising in my throat. He told me he was a virgin when we came together. If he had lied to me then our entire relationship was built on a lie.

"She did not interest me, although she tried very hard. I think that Corin was able to use some of her actions as fuel for the visions she tortured you with." He explained as he kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear.

"What did she show you?" I asked, not wanting to hear about it, but unable to shut up. I felt a shudder rip through his body, sending water spilling over the rim of the tub.

"You were kissing a black haired, dark skinned boy. He had his hand on your breast and his tongue… I can't do this." He whispered.

"Jacob." I said as I turned around to look at him. My legs straddled his hips as he brought his hands down to my waist.

"Did you do anything with him?" He growled, his eyes shut tight.

"No. He was my best friend." I said, running my hands lightly through his rumpled hair.

"He _was_ your best friend?" He questioned as he slowly opened his eyes. They were black with either anger or jealousy.

"He was killed in a cliff diving accident in high school. I had a hard time dealing with his death. He had told me the day before that he loved me, and I could not say the words back to him." I said quietly. His death still hurt me, years later.

"You did not love him?" He asked softly.

"No. I loved him as a friend, but I think even back then I knew my heart belonged to you." I said as I rocked my hips against his.

The water sloshed out of the tub as we came together. We both needed the reassurance that our lovemaking could bring us. I was thankful that neither of us needed to breathe, because I was not sure I would have been able to pull my lips from his. We moved gently, not able to rush the intimacy we were experiencing. As I felt Edward's body stiffen below me, it pushed me over the edge of my own climax and together we fell into ecstasy.

**A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed/PM'd me to let me know about your favorites. I like to see what you drop everything to go and read. For me it is MoBS, UoEM and MotU. If you are nice and review, you will get an EPOV explaining what really happened with Tanya! **


	33. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Not Mine

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of you who took the time to review the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed finding out what Tanya did to our poor Edward. I was surprised I only had two people mention me killing Jacob! If you had not guessed I am Team Edward all the way. My two year old is Team Jacob (I think it is just because she likes the wolf!) **

**Dalloway5906 rocked my world with the fastest turnaround in history. Plus – who else knows the correct spelling of horniness! **

**You will find me being a review h00r at the bottom ;)**

**BPOV  
**

After our impromptu session of lovin' in the tub, Edward wrapped me in a big fluffy towel and put me to bed. I really wanted him to join me, but I knew he had to help deal with Corin. He would be able to read her thoughts and see if she really posed a danger to us. I knew there was no danger from her anymore. She was just suffering through the after-effects of what my shield did to her. In fact, it was really my fault that she had gone bat-shit crazy. If I had not used my shield on her, she would still be a powerful member of the Volturi, using her powers to torture anyone who got in Aro's way. Now, she was totally nuts, and I was not sure she would ever be able to make her way back to normal.

I could not actually sleep. _Duh, vampire. _But it felt really good to be able to forget what was happening for a little while. I closed my eyes and released an unnecessary breath. I thought about Edward's and my future. I detailed every place I wanted to travel over the next hundred years, starting with the places that would most be affected by time. I really wanted to see Egypt before the pyramids disintegrated. I wanted to see the Eifel Tower before some suicide bomber took it out. I wanted to travel through the canals of Venice by gondola, before the ocean swallowed it up.

I took an hour for myself before getting up and getting dressed. I was startled to see myself in the mirror. My eyes were still red, but I remembered that the animal blood would take a while to dilute the color. I wanted to fit in with the rest of my family. I was ecstatic that my bloodlust seemed to be much more subdued than anyone had thought. The last thing I wanted was to have to deal with all of this drama while simultaneously trying not to kill every human that crossed my path.

I could hear the nearly silent footfalls as someone came up the steps. It was still hard to get used to my new supernatural senses. I took a deep inhale, wondering if I would be able to recognize the visitor by their scent. I had not had time to discover everyone's signature fragrances yet. I knew Edward, of course, and Emmett, but not the rest of the family. I would think Esme would smell like wallpaper paste and dirt, since her favorite pastimes were decorating and gardening. Carlisle would smell slightly chemically, from spending so much time in the hospital. Alice would be preceded by a cloud of whatever perfume was popular that day and Jasper would follow behind smelling like leather and coffee and musky sweat. Rose would smell like sex and elegance with a hint of motor oil. But those were just my guesses.

Luckily, I was able to tell who it was almost immediately. The sweet and minty goodness that always came before Emmett clouded my senses. I wondered if everyone perceived Emmett's smell the same way I did? Did he smell different to Rose or Carlisle? I would have to ask Edward about that later. That could make for some neat experiments. I moved quickly to the door and yanked it open before Emmett could knock.

"What's up kid?" Emmett joked, as he reached out to try and ruffle my hair. I was thankfully quicker than he was and ducked out of the way.

"Don't call me 'kid' Emmett." I snarked as I tried to push past him to find Edward.

"He is a little busy right now." Emmett said quietly as he took both of my hands in one of his and guided me back over to the bed. He pulled me down onto the cushy mattress and turned to look at me.

"We need to talk." He said, his face lacking its usual relaxed effervescence.

"What is going on?" I asked, instantly alert.

"Alice has had some new visions, ones she does not want to share with Edward." He said, releasing my hands and propping his elbows on his knees, relaxing his head onto his palms. He looked defeated.

"Ok, so what does this have to do with me?" I questioned, as I instinctively moved my hand up to rub soothing circles on his back. He looked like someone had just thrown out his favorite Xbox game.

"The visions were of you. Somehow this Maria chick had managed to snag you and you were working for them. Alice thinks that since Edward was nowhere to be seen, he might have been .. destroyed." He finished quietly. I was up on my feet before he had finished speaking.

"Well then we will just get out of here. Maybe we should head up to Alaska and hide out up there. If we all split up, they will never find us." I said, hysteria making my voice three times higher than it normally was.

"You see here is where it gets tricky. That might work for the rest of the family, but for you and Edward it is a no go. Maria has gotten her claws into Demetri, and he is an unparalleled tracker. He would be able to find you two anywhere in the world." He said, reaching up and grabbing me by the arm, halting my unconscious pacing.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered.

"I think you and Alice need to spend some time together brain-storming. If you can come up with a plan, she can look ahead and see if it would change the outcome. Of course, there still are the little changes that might pop up and turn everything into a giant clusterfuck, but at least we could go into things optimistic!" He said, finally giving me a small smile.

"Then get her up here. What are we waiting for?" I questioned, trying hard not to whack him across the head.

"You might be able to keep your thoughts from Edward, but Alice is not so great at that. The minute Edward hears her reciting anything in Korean, he gets all suspicious. Maybe you two should try and get outta here for a while." He suggested.

"Yes!" Alice shouted from somewhere on the first floor. We both started laughing as we heard her freakishly loud feet stomping up the stairs. _ I would have thought a supernatural being that was that small would be lighter on her feet._

"Perfect Emmett! I knew we kept you around here for something other than keeping Rosalie satisfied." She exclaimed as she darted into my closet, emerging seconds later with an outfit, complete with shoes and lingerie.

"I'll take that as my sign to head out. Gotta go check on my blondie. She was kinda upset after ripping the head off of that Jane chick. Me? I thought it was really hot!" He said as he tried to covertly adjust himself through his jeans.

"Gross Em!" Alice shouted as she dropped the clothes on the bed to shield her eyes. _Well, I guess that answers my question about how well endowed Emmett is. When you have to reach halfway down your thigh to readjust yourself, you are VERY well endowed!_

Emmett sauntered out of the room, laughing all the way. Alice quickly threw me into the outfit she had picked out and I was surprised to find I was actually comfortable. I had no idea how she was going to explain our leaving to Edward, but I trusted that she had seen what would happen in a vision. I just needed to play along. We found Carlisle, Jasper and Edward coming up from the basement. I figured that was where they were keeping Corin until they decided what to do with her. I really felt bad for her. I was very hesitant to use my shield on anyone else until we were able to figure out exactly what it did.

Edward looked up, surprised to see me out of bed already. He quickly came to my side, wrapping me in his arms.

"I thought you would relax longer. I wanted to come and snuggle with you." He pouted.

"Bella needs to go out and test her control. We have no idea where or when Maria will strike. She did really well resisting her father and Angela, but we need to see what she will do in a big crowd. If Maria decides to attack someplace public, the last thing we need to be worrying about is if Bella is gonna go all bloodsucker on the humans." Alice said, throwing a covert wink towards Jasper.

"Excellent idea sweets. I'll go with y'all to make sure Bella does not get out of hand." Jasper said, sidling up next to Alice and throwing his arm across her shoulders. _ I really wanted to see him all decked out cowboy style soon._

"I'll come as well." Edward said, but was quickly stopped by Alice.

"Edward, you know as well as I do that if you are anywhere near Bella, she will not be able to concentrate on anything but trying to get into your pants." She stated.

"Come on, cut me some slack. We have been standing here for a while and I have not tried anything!" I demanded.

"Oh yeah? Where is your hand Bella?" She said, crossing her arms across her chest and stomping her foot.

_My hand, what the hell is she talking about?_ I looked down to see that one hand was holding Edward's but my other was griping the waistband of his pants tightly, my fingers against the bare skin of his abdomen. I snatched my hand away and looked down, my phantom blush feeling like it was covering my entire body. I was surprised to hear Carlisle's quiet chuckle from behind us. We turned to see him shaking his head while trying to quiet his laughter.

"Esme was the same way for almost a year. I could not take her anywhere. The one time I tried to take her to a hospital function, she dragged me into the coat room and nearly ripped my tux off. We had to leave by jumping out of the window because her dress was ruined." He said after he finally noticed our attention.

"CARLISLE JOSEPH CULLEN!" Esme shouted from the second floor. He had the good grace to look chagrined, but gave us a smile before flying up the stairs to apologize to Esme. I really did not want to be in the house while he found some way to make it up to her.

After finally realizing that Alice was right, Edward walked us out to Jasper's big SUV, knowing that Alice would need all of the cargo space for whatever shopping she would do while we were out. He gave me a lingering kiss while making sure my seatbelt was securely fastened.

"Invincible remember?" I said as he fought with the belt.

"I know, but I still worry. Throwback from your human days, I guess." He said quietly as he finally deemed me safe and kissed me swiftly before he closed the door.

I felt actual chest pain as I watched him disappear as we drove away. How did I ever think that this would be a good idea? We had such a limited amount of time together. There was no telling how soon Maria and her army could be coming, and now with Demetri working for her there was nowhere we could escape. My hands were suddenly trapped between two smaller ones as I looked up to see the sad face of my new sister staring at me. _ I was sure she had been sitting in the front next to Jasper a second ago._

"I know it is hard, but there is really nothing else we can do. If we can't figure out a plan, my vision will come true. Do you want that?" She asked quietly. I could see Jasper watching us through the mirror and threw him a small smile, not really wanting him to have to dose me with his happy-times emotions.

"I get it, it is just hard." I said, not bothering to hide my angst.

"I know, believe me I know. Jasper and I were not apart for the first 2 years after we found each other. I think most of that was that the second we were together he would flood the room with horniness." She laughed. "After catching Carlisle and Esme in a sixty-nine, we decided to just keep to ourselves."

She succeeded in breaking me out of my funk with that disgustingly arousing thought and we sped quickly through the woods to the closest shopping mall.

**A/N: Soooo – anyone want to see what the boys were doing with Corin in the basement? Hit that little review button and find out! I am taking my sweet little girl to her first baseball game tomorrow, so you should expect to get an email late in the afternoon. Thanks so much to my loyal few who always review, if I bribe you or not! **


	34. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Wow! Thanks to all of you who took the time to review. I will tell you now, you will not **_**totally**_** understand the beginning of this chapter if you did not get the EPOV from last chapter. I will eventually be putting it up in 'Bidding on Destiny' but for right now the only way to see what happened in the basement is to review last chapter. Sorry!**

**Dalloway5906 rocks my world, as always and writes a fuckhawt Emmett, who I can't wait for you all to meet when she finally posts her story! I totally spaced out and never sent her the last half of this chapter to beta, so if there are errors, they are totes mine. **

**EPOV**

Did Alice really think I was that much of an idiot that I did not realize the true reason she and Jasper were taking Bella into town? I had caught bits and pieces of Alice's newest vision, and I knew they were going to try to figure out a different plan to alter the future. Little did they know that I was taking this time to work on a plan of my own.

Stefan and Vladimir had responded to Carlisle's message and were going to head up this way after their stop at Burning Man in August. When you are immortal, the passage of time means very little and the fact that August was three months away was inconsequential to them. Apparently when a human is high as a kite from smoking marijuana, the THC in their bloodstream can alter the consciousness of a vampire when ingested. This means that there were going to be some 'unexplained disappearances' at the concert and Vlad and Stefan would show up here in September fully sated from some pothead's blood. _I wonder if their blood red eyes will be bloodshot? _

Since September was still a while away, Carlisle and I discussed what we would do with Corin until they could get here. She seemed very content to just lounge around in the basement, which Esme had spruced up with a couch, TV and a fridge filled with bags of donor blood from the hospital. Oh yes, and a microwave because Corin detested cold blood. _Snob._

With our unwanted houseguest taken care of, I cornered Carlisle in his office to discuss my plan for Bella.

"Do you think it will work?" I asked, trying not to get my hopes up. I really should have spoken to Alice about this first, but I knew she would have disregarded my scientific way of dealing with a problem. I will never understand her aversion to the scientific method.

"Well Edward, the only way to see if it will work is to try it. Do you think your brother and sister would be willing to be guinea pigs? If not, I am sure your mother and I could be of assistance." He said as he flipped through a large leather-bound book. I could see the imprint of the Cullen crest of the cover, and the yellowing of the pages betrayed its age.

"What is that Carlisle?" I asked, not sure I had ever seen it before.

"This is my history Edward, a journal of sorts. I have written down every encounter I have ever had with a vampire. This holds the list of every powerful vampire I have ever met." He replied, continuing to search through the pages.

"What are you looking for?"

"I was sure that I had run into a vampire with powers similar to Bella's in the early 1900's, right before I changed you. He was making his way through the country before heading to Europe. I was almost positive I had documented it here." He said, exasperated that his infallible vampire memory was … failing him.

"Ah, here it is. His name was Garrett and he followed the same lifestyle as we did for the most part. When he consumed animal blood his ability to block physical attacks was magnified. When he had partaken of a human's blood, he was not able to control it as well. I remember him testing it out on me. It was amazing to bounce off of the invisible bubble surrounding him. He wanted me to wait while he attacked a human so I could witness the shield's venerability, but I declined." He said. I could understand him not wanting to wait around while Garrett killed some innocent human just to show off his powers.

"What do you think this has to do with Bella?" I asked, wondering if he would want Bella to experiment with the different types of blood supply to see if it affected her shield as well.

"I am starting to wonder if Bella's shield works opposite to how Garrett's did. She seems to be having a harder time accessing her powers when attacked. I think if she was willing to just try some human blood…"

I did not let him finish.

"No Carlisle, she is doing amazingly well with her bloodlust, I will not do anything that might put her control in jeopardy. You might not have first hand experience, but I do. There is nothing better in the world than the taste of human blood. That baseline burning in your throat, it is completely soothed by the warm viscous liquid. I have never experienced anything as difficult as giving up feeding on humans. But the guilt and disgust I felt was more than I could take anymore. I will not have Bella getting addicted to feeding from humans." I demanded.

"Fine Edward. When your siblings get home with her lets discuss your experiment. I think that if she is better able to access her shield, we would really have a chance at stopping Maria." He said, as he closed the book and returned it to the bottom drawer of his desk.

I left his office and returned to our bedroom, overwhelmed by the heady scent of my Bella. I was going to have to find something to occupy my time until they returned or I would go crazy waiting.

**BPOV**

The hand Jasper had wrapped around my wrist was more of a restraint than a brotherly caress. Alice had her tiny hand wrapped around my other arm, pulling me towards another store. I really thought this shopping thing was overrated, but was willing to tough it out because I did feel like my control was getting better the longer I was around humans. The children were the hardest. Their untainted blood was the sweetest scent ever. I imagined it was what cinnamon rolls or coffee or fresh brownies smelled like when I was human. I wanted nothing more than to snuggle my face down into their stroller and nip open an artery. But then their sweet innocent faces would look up at me and I would be lost.

Alice was toting along no less than 6 bags from the different stores. Jasper was also loaded up with packages, but he kept his hands free so he could whip me over his shoulder in case I tried to attack someone. _As if._

Finally deeming me a master of my control, Alice relented and we headed out to the car. The skin on my neck tingled as we left the mall and walked across the parking lot to where the car was parked. I nervously looked back over my shoulder to see what was activating my spidey senses. Jasper must have felt my unease, because he did the same thing, his years of military training kicking in as he maneuvered Alice and I behind him. _Southern gentlemen have the best manners._

There was no one coming out of the doors behind us, and the parking lot was fairly empty at this time of night. I could hear several conversations going on in the cars in the lot, but nothing that would have gotten my back up. Jasper was tugging Alice and I back to the car, anxious to get us back to the safety of the house. As he was tugging me along, I noticed movement on the roof of the building. It was quick, but I saw it and knew exactly who it was. There was no way I would lead him back to the house where my family was.

I used the excuse of an untied shoe to drop to my knee, only realizing that I had heels on when I put my hands on my feet. Alice stopped to look at me before her eyes flew open wide and she dropped the bags she was holding. He hands extended to me, no doubt trying to stop me from doing what I was planning. She was too late though and I launched myself full speed at the building and sprang up against the side like I had super bouncy balls in my shoes. Landing quietly on the expansive roof, I came face to face with Demetri.

"Long time no see." I said, leaning against the side of an air conditioning unit. His eyes flew wide at my sudden appearance, but quickly turned menacing as he saw Jasper holding Alice back on the ground. She was so pissed one look would kill you. I was going to hear about this when I got home.

"Are they going to help you?" He asked, punching his fist into his open palm.

"Nope, it is just you and me." I said as I stood up and walked casually around the roof. "I know what you were planning. I know who you are working with."

"Yeah, Maria told me you have that little psychic in your coven. You all must clean up when you play poker." He said as he watched my every move. He had no idea that my shield was backfiring, so I could understand why he was being cautious.

"She wanted me to lead you back to the others so you could take us out while we were unprotected. I'm right aren't I?" I said as I slowly moved closer to him. A plan was forming in my head, but I needed to have it perfected before Alice would see it and be ready.

"You are good. Come on, you will like working with Maria. She has these people who actually volunteer to be drained. Sure, it is not as exciting as when you are chasing some poor girl down the street, but it still tastes as good. She sent something along for you." He said as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a vial. I could see the bright red blood through the glass tube. I could count the plasma cells and see the way the layers had separated. The flimsy glass did nothing to block the scent from reaching me.

Taking my moment of distraction as his cue, he launched himself at me and used his strong hand to tip my face to the sky. Using his other hand, he flipped open the top of the vile and poured the blood all over my face. The warm liquid oozed across my skin, making venom leak from the side of my mouth. I struggled in his arms as I tried to keep my mouth glued shut. Edward had told me how hard it was to resist human blood after having even a drop. He never wanted me to have to deal with it. I understood then what he meant, and I had not even tasted it. The constant burning in my throat surged into uncontrollable flames as the scent surged down my nostrils. Demetri used his thick fingers to force my mouth open, directing the flow of blood onto my tongue.

The second the blood hit my mouth, bright light flashed in front of my eyes. My body jerked backwards, sending Demetri flying off of the roof. I could barely hear the struggle between Jasper and Demetri as I floated through a haze of colors and light. My fingers greedily smeared and collected every drop of blood that was still clinging to my face, blindly fumbling since my eyes were still fused shut.

I could hear Alice drop onto the roof as she came over and gathered me into her arms. She must have jumped down off of the roof, because the wind blew my hair off of my face, and with it sent the smell of blood further into my brain. I was sucking on my fingers, trying to get every ounce of blood into my system. They must have maneuvered me into the car, because the next thing I heard was the engine start and sensed the movement forward. The light flowing behind my eyelids was slowly dimming, and the intensity of the blood thrall was finally relaxing, with some help from Jasper. My eyes finally cooperated and I was able to open them. I screamed and backed away as I came face to face with Demetri's severed head. Alice was quickly next to me, stopping me from opening the door.

"It is fine. We had to separate his head from his body so it could not reattach. Once we get out of the city we will stop and burn the remains." She said as she slowly wiped my face with a baby wipe. _Always be prepared for the messy lifestyle of being a vampire. _

"What happened?" I said, not even recognizing my own voice.

"It was blood. I did not see it until right before it happened. You used your shield on him, blew his ass right off the building." She said as she brushed the hair back off of my face.

"I don't remember doing it. I don't remember much of anything after he poured the blood on me."

"Yeah, human blood is like that. The thrall, they call it. It is really the best feeling ever." Jasper said from the front seat. Alice smacked him across the back of the head and he quickly started talking again. "Except the feeling of being inside you my sweets. You are so warm and tight and when I cum…"

"Ugh, enough already. I have heard enough about my family member's sex life to last a lifetime!" I yelled. I finally had relaxed enough to really recognize the feelings flowing through my body. My shield was floating right along the surface of my skin. It felt like I could just reach out and touch it.

"Alice, try and touch me." I said quietly as Jasper pulled over along the wooded roadside to deal with Demetri. He turned in his seat to watch what was going on.

Alice smirked, no doubt already knowing the outcome of my little test, and reach a finger out to touch my arm. Her finger bounced right off of my shield. I laughed and she giggled. Jasper gasped as he finally realized what my little test proved.

"You can only _really_ use your shield when you are feeding on human blood." He said quietly.

We must have been closer to the house than I thought, because Edward's scream of agony easily flowed through the trees.

**A/N: Oh no! Another thing for poor Bella to worry about. No bribe today for reviews, just me sitting here watching my inbox!**

**You all totally need to go and read:**

**Little Fish, Big Fish by Michelle M. Marie.**

**It is a collab with Paige Parkker and it ROCKS! It only has 151 reviews and 13 of them are mine! I LOVE her Bella, I wish I could go back to high school and be just like her. Plus Jasper had dreads, come on who would not love that. Go read it and tell her I sent ya!**


	35. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: This was a sad week. After seeing her every weekday for nearly four years, Dalloway5906 has left me. She made me laugh and I made her cry. Now we have to communicate via email and texts. You are the apple to my orange or the Bella to my Edward (and yes, I totes made myself Edward). You own me Dally. **

**Color me crazy but this silly little fic has over 500 reviews! I am in shock people! I can't tell you how much it means that you take time to leave a review. I try to reply to every one, and if I don't please feel free to let me know about it! **

**Oh, and anyone reading my story 'Pills', I updated. No really I did, no lie.**

**Ok, now onto the drama!  
**

**BPOV**

I was moving so quickly through the forest, I was not even able to recognize the blurring greens and browns I passed as trees. I don't even remember getting out of the car. As soon as I recognized Edward's scream I was running. I might have even run straight through the door of Jasper's car in my haste to get to Edward. He was going to make me pay for that, I was sure.

I was almost positive I knew the reason for his outburst. One quick look down the road and I knew we were well within his two mile radius. He had heard Jasper's thoughts as to why I was able to access my shield. I knew how he felt about his time spent feeding on the worst of society humans. Even though he rationalized it by killing people who had already taken lives, the fact remained that he was still a murder. The taste and essence of human blood was far superior to that of what we lived on. I could already feel I was stronger and faster after having ingested just that small amount. My shield was floating around my body, the translucent film protecting me from the low hanging branches as I ran through the woods.

The closer I got to the house, the louder Edward's exclamations were. I could hear him shouting at Esme and Carlisle.

"No, you don't understand. I cannot let this happen. If she starts feeding on human blood, I will never get her back. Carlisle, you understand. You have spent time around Stefan and Vladimir, you know how different they are from us." He shouted.

"Yes Edward, I know that we exhibit many differences since we deny our true nature. Our relationships are stronger as is our ability to be compassionate towards the future of the human race. But that does not mean that Bella has to forsake our entire lifestyle." Carlisle said calmly.

"Edward, we do not know what Bella wants to do. Yes, this discovery changes things, but it does not change who she is and what you mean to her." Esme soothed.

"It changes everything. You heard Carlisle, partaking of human blood makes our relationships weaker. How do you think I stayed away from you for as long as I did? You were, for all intents and purposes, my parents and I left you without a second thought, just for the taste of human blood. I had been with Carlisle for a decade and was still able to leave. Bella has only been with me for, what a week? In that time she has been sold at an auction to a vampire, lost her virginity to said vampire, been abducted twice, was forced to change into a vampire herself and now has discovered that the thing that might save us all, only works when she drinks a human's blood. Her life has been shit ever since I entered into it. Why would she want to deny herself the one thing our bodies crave above anything else … for me?" He said, his voice only a whisper.

I had had enough. I ran faster through the trees and when I approached the house, I did not even slow down. I burst through the glass French doors, sending glass and wood flying everywhere. I did not stop until I was standing in front of Edward's kneeling form. I dimly recognized that Esme and Carlisle were still in the room before I started in on Edward.

"How dare you." I whispered. His head whipped up to look at me. I would have thought my noisy entrance would have alerted him to my presence, but he looked genuinely surprised to see me standing there.

"Bella…" He said as he reached his hand out towards me. I batted it away, knowing that if he touched me I would not be able to say the things I needed to say.

"How dare you doubt my feelings? Yes, we may have only been together for a week, and in that time I have had to deal with a lot. But for you to think that I would put our love in jeopardy because of the way human blood tastes… that is ludicrous and down right insulting. I thought you were smarted than that Edward. You are my mate, my other half, my reason for existing. Without you I would not be able to continue." I breathed as I slowly lowered myself down to him, pressing my forehead against his.

"I'm sorry precious girl. I was just so frightened. I have spent nearly a century in the presence of true love, never able to experience it for myself. And now that I have found you… the thought of having you leave me...it overwhelms me." He said, his voice thick with emotions.

"We will work through this Edward. Our love is more important than anything." I whispered as I leaned my lips against his.

"We Bella, I hate to disagree with you, but if we don't find a way to get your shield to work before Maria and her gang of newborns get up here to kick our asses, you won't be here and neither will your love." Emmett's booming voice interrupted.

I could not stop the snarl from exploding from my mouth as I whipped my head around to where Emmett was leaning against the door jam. I jumped up from the floor and threw myself at him, forcing us backwards through the broken door. He landed hard on his back and grunted as I pounced on him, sitting on his belly as I pummeled him with my fists.

"You." "Need." "To." "Stop." "Being." "An." "Asshole!"

I yelled as I beat my little fists against his chest and face. He did a good job deflecting my jabs, only taking one in the nose and another in the throat. I felt hands gripping my arms as I was pulled off of him, kicking at his legs as I went. In my agitated state, I had not even thought about trying to use my shield. I was dumped on the floor after I had calmed down and just looked at the ground until sexy red stiletto heels came into my view. I drew my eyes up from the shoes, over dark wash skinny jeans and a black halter top, to find a very pissed off Rosalie.

"Now Bella, I am all for a good ass whooping when someone deserves it, but really, come on. You have been around Emmett long enough to know that he has no filter between his idiotic brain and his big, fat mouth. That is one of the things I love the best about him." She said as she looked over to where he was snapping his nose back in place after I broke it. He grinned back at her as the bone popped loudly before setting into its rightful position. I felt bad for taking out my anger and frustration on Emmett. He was so sweet and kind hearted. I carefully pulled myself up from the ground, wary of the way Rosalie was standing over Emmett, still looking like a very angry momma bear. When I was close enough, I put my hand out to Emmett as a peace offering. He gracefully accepted my hand, giving it a little squeeze as he allowed me to pull him to his feet. I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head in his massive chest. I was embarrassed that I had let me emotions overpower me.

"Ok Emmett, I think you can let her go now." Edward said as he moved over towards us to forcibly remove me from Emmett's embrace if necessary. I released Emmett and he gave me an Eskimo kiss to let me know we were fine. I turned to fall into Edward's arms as Alice and Jasper finally came running through the door.

"So we missed all the action huh?" Alice said as she looked over the broken glass and wood that covered the floor.

"Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away." I said quietly.

"Edward, pay up man. You owe me $50." Jasper said as he nudged Edward with his shoulder.

I saw them exchange money and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Umm, Jasper bet me $50 that you would lose your cool and kick Emmett's ass before you were a month old." Edward said, putting his wallet back into his pocket.

I turned and glared at Jasper before I looked at Edward who had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"So I guess that means that you bet I would not beat up Emmett." I said, glad that my soon to be husband had sided with me.

"Ha! No, Edward bet you would not make it 2 days without trying to kill him, which you did. So that means that I won!" Jasper laughed.

I would have attempted to kick Edward's ass right about then if Alice had not suddenly dropped to the ground, her hands covering her ears. We all froze, staring. I had never seen a vision affect Alice this way before. It was making me nervous that she had still not come out of her trance. Jasper pulled Alice into his arms and slowly rocked her, sending an overdose of soothing vibes through the room. Her screams pierced the silence of the room and I instinctively threw my hands out to cover my ears. Edward was staring blankly at Alice, as if he was trying to comprehend what was happening. I knew he would be able to see her vision through her thoughts, and wondered why he was not having a similar reaction.

Her screaming suddenly stopped and her eyes flew open, searching for and locking onto Edward's. They stared at each other for a full minute, before she jumped up from Jasper's embrace and pulled me into her arms. I continued to stare at Edward over Alice's shoulder, knowing that his expression would tell me all I needed to know. When he finally met my eyes I had my answer.

**EPOV**

I had never seen one of Alice's visions so clearly. The detail was amazing.

_I could count the drops of blood that oozed out of the gaping wound in the child's throat. Bella's eyes were not just red, but flecked with black and gold. Her mahogany hair was matted with blood and pieces of flesh and her clothes were torn and unrecognizable. She was standing in the middle of a playground, surrounded by the remains of a kindergarten class. I could see a tall black haired vampire swinging gleefully from the jungle gym, her hair flowing through the wind as she moved forward and back. As Bella drained the last child, the woman jumped gracefully to the ground, sprinting towards Bella as soon as she landed. _

"_You did wonderful my child. Didn't I tell you that children were the sweetest?" She said as she swept her finger along Bella's lower lip to collect the drops of blood that had escaped. She wrapped her tongue around her finger, savoring the blood as she looked into Bella's vacant eyes._

"_Yes Maria, it was everything you said it would be. Can I go home now?" Bella asked, her voice hollow._

"_Not yet child, there are still many things I need you to do before I can allow you to return home. Have you contacted the doctor yet?" Maria asked._

"_Not yet, I will try to get in touch with Carlisle later tonight after Edward has gone out hunting." Bella answered._

"_Where does Edward think you are now?" Maria questioned._

"_Shopping with Alice and Alice thinks I am hunting with Rose. Rose thinks I am with Edward. It can get very confusing." She said, her brow furrowing._

"_Not much longer until you can tell them all the truth, but by then it will not matter." Maria said as she stroked her hand down Bella's dirty hair. "Let's go get you cleaned up so you can get back to your family. I have your new set of color contacts that should hold out until I come for you again." _

"_Yes Maria, thank you." Bella said as she allowed Maria to lead her away from the massacre. _

I could do nothing but stare at Bella's face as Alice wrapped her in an unforgiving embrace. What was happening? How could Maria lure Bella away from us? I only hoped that now that we could see what she was planning, we could be on alert. There was no way I would ever let Alice's vision come to fruition. I could hear Alice's thought screaming at me to keep quiet about what she saw, but there was no way I could keep this from Bella. She could always know when I was lying about something.

Alice finally released Bella with a forced laugh. "That was really scary there for a minute. My vision was of your wedding and you refused to wear a veil. I thought I was going to have to staple one to your head!"

Esme and Rose joined into the laughter, but I could tell that they both knew Alice was lying. Bella stood there with the same expression on her face, staring at me. I dropped my head into my hands and shook my head. The thought of trying to explain to Bella what Alice saw made me nauseous. Emmett managed to break the remaining tension by wrapping his arm around Bella's neck and dragging her out the door.

"Let's go kid, I think I deserve to try and get some payback. I can smell some bobcats about 3 miles away. I bet I can beat you there." He said as he released her and sprinted towards the trees, Jasper and Rose following behind him. She looked back at me before following my siblings into the forest.

Carlisle and Esme were demanding answers as soon as we knew they were out of listening range. Alice recapped her vision, while I collapsed onto the couch. Not only did we have to deal with the fact that Bella's shield only worked when she was drinking human blood, now we had to be worried about Maria somehow getting her from right under our noses.

"Edward, do you have any idea how this could have happened? Is there any way for us to stop it?" Carlisle asked.

"In the vision, Bella acted a lot like she does when Jasper is manipulating her emotions. Maybe that could have something to do with it." I said, my voice emotionless. Alice was quick to dispute my suggestion.

"Edward, there is no way that Jasper would do that. He hated what Maria made him do when he was with her, you know that. He would never help her, especially against his own family." Alice said adamantly.

"Alice, I am not suggesting that he would. I was merely trying to explain what I thought could have been causing Bella to go along willingly with Maria. You know she would never do that if she were in control of herself." I said.

"Yes Edward, I know that there is no way our Bella would have done that. You should have seen her today at the mall. She never once lost her control. It would have taken most newborns at least a year before they would have been able to be around that many humans." Alice said, pride evident in her words.

"What are we going to tell her? You know she did not buy the answer you gave her Alice." Esme said, her thoughts clearly telling me that she thought we should tell Bella the truth.

"What would that do except scare her Esme?" I demanded.

"Edward, she deserves to know what Alice saw. If we keep her in the dark, she might not recognize the threat when it comes. It was obvious that in the vision you had no idea what was happening with her, so we might not be able to keep her safe without her knowing she is in danger." Esme said as she sat down next to me on the couch. "I know you don't want to scare her son, but we need to tell her so she can help keep herself safe."

I knew Esme was right. Keeping Bella in the dark about what her future may hold was ridiculous. We could not be with her every second, although I might try. She needed to be prepared to help alter her own future and she would not be able to that without all the information we had. I was not looking forward to the discussion I was going to have to have with her when she returned.

**BPOV**

I found myself enjoying hunting with my new siblings. Jasper and Emmett were constantly trying to one-up each other. I could not tell you how many times I had to duck a flying tree branch as they raced through the woods. Rosalie stayed back with me, encouraging me to open my senses to try and find my prey. It was hard to abandon what was left of my humanity and give in to the primal instinct that surfaced when I hunted. I especially hated looking so feral in front of the eternally perfect Rosalie. I watched her take down a huge deer without getting a speck of dirt or blood on her clothes, her hair still perfect. Meanwhile, I looked like I had bathed in dirt and I had only run through the trees.

After we had gorged ourselves on the local wildlife and taken care of the evidence, we started to walk back to the house. I could tell that Jasper was hiding something from me, he was not totally successful in keeping his anxiety to himself and I found I wanted to hurry back. He motioned for Emmett and Rose to go ahead of us as he pointed out a large rock to sit down on.

"I can't see Alice's visions, but I do get a really big hit of her emotions when she is having one. I know that she was not lying when she said the vision was about you, but I can tell you sure as shit that it was not about some stupid veil." He said, reaching down to pull up a blade of grass.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we are out here so that they can figure out what to tell you. I am hoping that they tell you the truth, but I can promise you that if they don't, I'll know. I think you deserve to know what your future holds, even if it is subjective." He said as he carefully tore the grass into two even pieces and started to tie it in a knot.

"They would lie to protect me." I said, knowing that Edward and Alice would think nothing of lying to my face if it meant I would not worry.

"I know, and I think that is a stupid reason. You are much stronger than they think darlin'." Jasper said as he dropped the grass knot on the ground and pulled me up. We ran back the way we came, stopping as we saw our entire family standing on the porch. I could tell by Edward's body language that he was anxious, which in turn made me nervous. What was Alice's vision, and was it possible to change it?

**A/N: So no Maria yet, but I promise soon! Dalloway5906 already got chapter 35 back to me and Wednesday is right around the corner! Leave me some love to cheer me up!**

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**See you Wednesday!**


	36. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: Not mine

**A/N: Still no Maria, but we do move forward in the story a bit. I keep trying to get these characters to move faster, but they are dragging their feet. I will try to light a fire under them! **

**Thank you so much for your reviews for the last chapter. We are well above 550 reviews now and I am floored by your response. **

**Dalloway5906 owns my ass and is holding me at the edge of my seat as I wait for her next chapter of Emmett. Seriously girl… I need me some Emmett soon! **

**BPOV**

Jasper put his hand at the small of my back and gave me a shove, since my feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. I was propelled forward and found myself in Edward's arms. I kept my face buried in his chest, inhaling his scent before he could open his mouth and either tell me the hideous truth, or lie to my face. I was not sure which would be worse.

"Bella, we need to talk about Alice's vision and what Jasper has discovered about your shield." He said, as he tightened his arms around my body and lifted my feet off of the ground. I never raised my face from his body, thinking that maybe the old 'I can't see you, you can't see me' trick would work. When he finally lowered me back to the ground, we were standing on the porch and I could feel our family forming a circle around us. It seems like since Edward bid on me at that auction, I had become the center point of our family, and not in a good way. I hated that everyone's lives had seemed to come to a halt because when Edward brought me home, he also brought a shitload of problems as well.

"Ok sweetheart, are you ready to pull up your big girl panties and deal with this stuff?" Esme asked. My head whipped up to look at my surrogate mother, shocked that she had been so blunt. I thought Esme would be the one to coddle me and offer me milk and cookies.

"Um, I guess so. So, first of all let's deal with what Jasper figured out. I think that maybe with a little practice I might be able to get my shield to work without having to have human blood. I mean, we all agree that it would be better if I could stick to our diet, right?" I asked, avoiding Edward's eyes because I knew exactly how he felt about me and human blood. The nods around the room echoed that they were all of the same opinion, except for the lack of movement from a certain blonde.

"Rosalie?" I questioned, unable to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor as I realized that my bombshell of a sister was all for me abandoning the Cullen lifestyle and embracing my true vampire nature.

"Don't." Edward hissed as he overheard Rose's thoughts before she said them.

"No Edward, I want to hear why my wife would think it would be a good idea to turn our sister into a bloodthirsty human killing machine." Emmett said as he turned to stare at Rose.

"I'm sorry Bella, but I have to think about my family first. I know that everyone else has just accepted you with open arms, but this was _my_ family first. We have been together since the 1950's and it is hard for me to disregard their safety. If you will be able to save us by drinking a little human blood, I am all for that." She said, earning her glares from most of the family and a snarl from Edward.

"No, she is right. If there is any chance that I could help save us from Maria, I need to take it." I said, as Edward tried to interrupt me.

"Bella, there are many other ways…" He started.

"Edward, I think she is right." Carlisle said quietly.

"No, stop it! If we were asking this of Rose or Esme or Alice, would you all be so ready to damn your wives to this fate? I don't think so. It is bad enough that Alice is having visions of Bella being coerced to go work with Maria behind all our backs, I won't allow this!" Edward bellowed. I turned to him, looking so frightening I actually felt myself tremble before I grabbed his hands in mine.

"What are you talking about me working with Maria? You know I would never do that. Edward, if we can't stop her from destroying our family, it will not matter if I am suffering from 'human blood withdrawal' or not. You have to realize that if someone in this family dies because I did not do everything I could to protect them, I will carry that with me for the rest of our lives. Do you really think I could face Esme everyday if something happened to Carlisle? As much as it disgusts and upsets me to think about, I need to accept that until we deal with Maria, I need to be on a …people only diet." I said as I watched Edward realize that he would not change my mind. He escaped from my grasp and flew into the woods, pausing only long enough to punch a hole right through the door of Rosalie's bright red BMW.

"Real mature asshole!" She screamed after him.

**EPOV**

Why did she have to be so reasonable? She was correct, of course. If we were not able to defend ourselves against Maria's attack it would not matter if she were still a 'vegetarian' or not. I knew that if she were to fall in the attack, I would follow her. I would not be able to spend eternity knowing I would never again feel the kind of contentment and joy I had found while lying in her arms. She brought light into what I realized had been a century of darkness.

The one thing that worried me most of all, was that I would end up losing her to the bloodlust. Carlisle had forced us to start our new lifestyles as soon as the change ended. Yes, Esme, Emmett and myself all had slips in those first few years, but being forced to abandon that primal instinct for a human's blood made it easier to abstain in the coming decades. Jasper only fed on humans for a century before he found Alice and joined our family. It seems the sooner a vampire starts to feed on humans after their change, the harder it will be to eventually stop. Jasper stills struggles around humans and he has been living on animal blood for 50 years. If Bella starts now, I have no idea how long it would take her to gain control.

I wanted our lives to be as normal for her as possible. I wanted her to be able to start classes again in the fall and continue doing the things she enjoyed. She did not choose this life. I never wanted her to resent her immortality and grow to hate me, as I knew Rosalie sometimes felt towards Carlisle. How could she possibly attend college if she wanted to drain her classmates?

I stopped running as soon as I realized someone was following me. I could hear his thoughts screaming at me to stop being such a douche and slow down. I allowed Emmett to catch up before turning and meeting his accusing gaze.

"You really hurt her you know." He said as he leaned down and grabbed a handful of stones.

"I know, but I had no idea what to say to her. She is right, I would never be able to look at you if something happened to Rose and I could have stopped it. But what happens when she is so addicted to human blood she does not want to revert back to our diet. I can't be with her is she is killing people left and right." I said quietly.

"I don't know man, but you guys have to work something out. She is a mess back there. All she is trying to do is what she knows is right. I think it is pretty cool that she loves us so much she is willing to do something that disgusts her just to make sure we survive." He said as he wrapped his hand around my throat and smashed his handful of rocks into my face, grinding them into dust against my nose.

"That is for Rose's car. You know how she feels about that thing man!" He yelled as he took off through the trees.

I dusted the grit off of my face and straightened my shirt, trying to work up the nerve to go back and make it up to Bella. If I could prove to her how much she meant to me, maybe she would understand that I was only trying to protect her. With that thought I took off into the forest in the opposite direction, hoping I made it before the bank closed.

**BPOV**

Emmett took off after Edward as soon as he saw the look on my face. My new big brother was my fiercest protector. I knew he would be able to talk some sense into Edward. He did not know how much his support would mean to me. It was going to be hard for me to have to accept that I would be like Victoria and Aro. When I learned about the existence of real vampires, the one thing that disturbed me the most was the blood thing. I was thrilled that the Cullens and others had managed to find a loophole and had been able to survive without killing people. Now I was going to have to do what I dreaded the most, and I needed all the support I could get.

Alice led me inside and insisted that I relax on the couch while she and Jasper worked on strategy. She had started to get some glimpses of Maria moving north. From what Carlisle had found from several nomadic vampires who had passed through the south, was that Maria had been seen outside of Reno Nevada last week. No one knew how fast she was able to travel with her army of newborns or how many covens she would be destroying along the way. Jasper knew of a coven near Redding, California that Maria would probably stop to attack before moving on to us. That left us at least a week to prepare. If I started training with my shield now, it was possible that I would only have to feed once or twice before the battle. Carlisle said he would be glad to get me blood from the hospital, but Jasper was hesitant about that.

"It would take a lot of bags to get as much as she needs Carlisle. Why don't you just let me go hunting and find Bella a good one?" Jasper drawled, making my skin crawl thinking about him luring some young girl into his car for me to snack on. Alice wacked him on the arm as she came over to sit next to me on the couch.

"You know he is just kidding right? He would never do such a thing." She said as she pushed my hair behind my ear.

"Alice, what was Edward talking about with me and Maria? Was that what your vision was of?" I asked quietly, not sure if I was ready to hear the truth or not.

"Um, yes Bella. I saw you feeding with Maria at a school. You had lied to all of us about where you were going. She must have been using some emotion control like Jasper has to keep you complacent. But as soon as Edward told you about the vision, it disappeared. Don't worry about it, your future has changed." She said as she smiled.

I was glad that whatever Alice saw was no longer going to happen, but how would Edward react to Carlisle's plans to get me donor blood from the hospital? What if I did need more than he could get? Would we have to find someone for me to drink? I was not sure I would be able to do that. Talking about it was one thing, but to have a person's throat in front of me and be expected to bite into their skin and kill them… that was something different. Thankfully I was saved from my morbid thoughts by the return of Emmett. He plopped down next to me on the couch, sandwiching me between tiny Alice and his immense frame.

"I managed to talk some sense into him Bella. I hope he can stop acting like an asshat and treat you like you deserve." Emmett said as he ruffled my hair.

"Thanks Em, you did not hurt him too much did you?" I asked.

"Nah, just a few rocks to the face." He said as he pushed up off the couch, snagging Alice's hand as he went. He pulled her out of the room, as I heard footsteps coming across the gravel driveway outside. Edward appeared in the doorway seconds later, but not before Alice managed to catch his eye and mouth the words "She knows."

He sighed dramatically as he lowered himself to his knees in front of me. He picked up my hands in one of his and bent his head over out interlinked fingers.

"It kills me to think of you in danger. I don't always react the way I should. I tend to speak first and think later. I apologize." He said in a whisper, keeping his eyes trained on our hands. I wanted nothing more than to forgive him and move on, but I knew if I did not let him know how I felt we would be having the same conversation over and over again.

"I know Edward, but you need to realize that I feel the same way about you. And in this case, I have the ability to protect all of you. I need you to support me Edward, whether it is something you approve of or not." I stated, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. He finally brought his eyes up to meet mine. I gasped at the intensity of his gaze.

"I know Bella. I think I need to prove to you how much I love and support you." He said as he reached into his pocked with his free hand. He brought up a black velvet covered box, deftly flipping up the lid with his fingers. Inside, nestled against the black satin lining was a beautiful diamond ring. The face of the ring was oval, with shimmering diamonds covering it. The band was narrow and the gold shone in the faint light of the room. I tried to pull my hands from his, but he held tight.

"Isabella Swan, since the moment I saw you my life has been in a tailspin. I never knew that something so elemental was missing from my life, until I met you. You make me a different person, a better person. I want nothing more than to be able to call you my wife for the rest of eternity. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Yes Edward, yes!" I exclaimed as he released my hands so I could wrap my arms around his neck. We had already discussed the fact that we eventually wanted to get married, and I was sure Alice had already started planning, but to have his ring on my finger made it feel real. I could feel his laughter shaking his entire body and I was glad that even amidst all of the drama, we were still taking the time to prove to everyone, ourselves included, that we were meant to be together.

**A/N: All together now… awwwwww. I love me some sweet Edward. Update coming on Sunday! **


	37. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**Drunk and and hoping to get to sleep in tomorrow, so I am posting early. Yeah!**

**A/N: So I am thrilled to finally be able to say this: **

**Dalloway5906 has posted her Rose/Emmett story! **

**It is called 'Bittersweet' and it rocks my socks. Go and favorite it right now. **

**http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6058012/1/**

**No I mean it, right now. I'll wait… *Crosses arms and taps foot impatiently* **

**Ok, good! You will thank me.**

**And now I'll tell you how close you came to not getting a chapter today. Someone (Celtic001) decided to rec me 'Blizzard' and 'Hit by Destiny' and I ignored my kids and could not even think about writing until I got caught up with both of them. They are AWESOME! If you are not reading them, shame on you! They are AH (sorry Camilla10, I know how you feel about AH) but they are so good you forget there are no vamps in them!**

**Ok, enough of me blathering away. Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

We were suddenly knocked sideways by a miniature sized vampire who was full of excitement.

"Oh yes Bella! I already have everything ordered. I had seen him giving you the ring days ago. Did you want to do it before Maria gets here or wait till after?" She asked, vibrating with energy. I knew she had already started planning, but had no idea she had been ordering things. I did not really care how it looked, but would have liked to be able to have some input on things like my dress and the flowers. Alice's face dropped as she had a vision, no doubt of me getting upset about the dress. I was quick to reassure her that it was fine.

"Umm, well I guess we should wait till after Maria is scheduled to get here. It would give us something to look forward to." I suggested.

"You mean other than being alive to talk about it?" Emmett laughed.

"Yes jerkface, that is exactly what I mean." I snarked as I tried to struggle my way out of the vampire sandwich I was in, where I was staring as the meat.

"I swear to monkeys dude, you are the biggest twat waffle I have ever met. It is called optimism, glass half full, that kinda thing. If we go into this thinking that we will be decimated by Maria and her douchey army of newborns, then it will happen." I yelled.

"Wow Bella, that has to be the most convoluted thing I have ever heard, but you are absolutely right. We only have a vague idea how big her army is, and I know that Maria had some pretty intense tricks when I was with her. We need to have a few training sessions to teach you softies how to fight and then work with Bella on her shield. We have to try and stay one step ahead of Maria." Jasper said, and I could almost picture him in his Confederate uniform, a rifle in his hand as he fought for the freedom of the south. I was thankful that his side was not victorious, I was not sure how I would feel having NASCAR as the national sport.

Emmett clapped his hands together, eager to start with the training session. He was always ready to participate in something where he could use his brute strength. I was looking forward to watching them train for reasons all my own. _Just because I was wearing Edward's ring did not mean I could not appreciate how hot it was to watch four beautiful men go at it. _I could see by the distant look in Alice, Rosalie and Esme's eyes that they were thinking along the same line that I was. How could you not?

Jasper herded us outside and into two lines, girls on one side and the guys on the other. To make things fair he did not pair us with our mates. I had my fingers crossed that I would get Emmett so I could torture him some more, but I was paired with Carlisle instead. I was nervous to fight hand to hand with him since I was still struggling with my newborn strength. Jasper caught my emotion and was quick to reassure me.

"Bella, Carlisle is a healer, but he has also seen his fair share of fights. I think we will all enjoy watching him try to take you down." Jasper smirked as he stalked towards where Rosalie was leaning against a tree. He did not look too intimidating as his blond curls drifted into his eyes. Rose stood up, casually dusting off her jeans before smirking at Jasper and curling her finger, signaling for him to bring it on. Jasper was a streak as he launched himself at Rose, wrapping his hands around her slender waist and pushing her back against the tree. The high branches of the tree shuttered with the impact and an involuntary cry flew from my lips as I watched him pummel her with his fists. My feet were moving unconsciously towards the pair until I felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder.

"Just watch Bella. Rose can handle it. You should have seen what Emmett did to her after his change." He said as Emmett shuffled his feet, embarrassed. I was going to have to get the rest of that story one day.

As Carlisle dropped his hand, I focused my attention back on the beautiful blondes against the tree. Rose had somehow managed to get one hand free from Jasper's hold and grabbed a handful of his hair. She yanked hard and pulled his head back, exposing his neck and Rose swiftly bent over and planted her lips where his jugular would have been. A loud smacking kiss sounded through the air, and Jasper released her with a look of disgust. Everyone laughed as Jasper used his shirt to wipe off the venom Rose had left on his neck and stalked over to where Alice was bent over in hysterics.

"That was… you just…. Oh my GOD, she totally kicked, I mean kissed your ass!" She laughed as her hands wrapped around her waist, trying to keep it together. Rose waltzed over to Emmett and snuggled into his side.

"He was so worried about overpowering me, he forgot I am not just some dumb blonde who does not know how to use her brain." Rose said.

"And what a big brain it is Rosie." Jasper said as Alice finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Ok Emmett, my turn next." Alice said.

"Fine, but no fair using your visions. You don't know if Maria will have some way to block them, so you should just… stop using them now to practice." Emmett pouted, worried that tiny Alice would be able to take him down.

"He is right Ali, you should try to do this without relying on your powers." Jasper reasoned, causing Alice to stick her tongue out at him.

Emmett dropped to a crouch, flashing his teeth with a menacing growl. If I did not know they were just playing I would have been petrified for Alice. She looked so small as she stood calmly, waiting for Emmett to make the first move. Emmett suddenly vaulted towards Alice, his legs moving like lightning. It always surprised me to see how fast the big vampire could move. I would expect Jasper or Edward to be able to move that fast, being as lithe as they were, but Emmett was huge. He moved like a locomotive towards Alice, yet she stood still, watching. Alice jumped into the air at the last minute and landed like an acrobat on Emmett's broad back. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she latched her mouth onto his throat, sucking hard and leaving a faint red mark where her mouth had been.

"Damn it pixie, that shit stings." Emmett complained as he reached around to grab Alice's arms and flung her off of his back. Jasper managed to snatch her right out of the air before she careened into a tree.

"Hey, your girl made kissy faces with my guy, so I figured turn about would be fair play." She teased as she turned her body in Jasper's arms and attacked his mouth. Jasper could not keep the lust from oozing into the clearing, and it took all of my willpower not to rush to Edward and rip his clothes off of him. A subtly cleared throat brought Alice and Jasper back to earth and the lust was quickly replaced with embarrassment. Esme tapped Edward on the arm.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" She said as she walked forward. I knew it would be hard for Edward to even pretend to attack his mother. She just looked like a mom. Her dark jeans and white button-down shirt were perfectly pressed and not a hair was out of place. I could not imagine watching her hunt and wondered if Carlisle brought home an unconscious deer and served it at the dining room table for her. As Edward got closer, Esme let out a snarl and her hands formed claws. I took an involuntary step back as she was the first to move, streaking towards Edward so fast the gravel under her feet spit up into the air. Edward was taken by surprise as she swiftly used her leg behind his knees to push him to the ground. She straddled his chest and used one of her hands to grab both of his and push them into the dirt above his head. The air was filled with the sound of raspberries as she blew her lips against his throat.

Edward was disgruntled as he pushed her off of him and jumped to his feet. He swiped at the moisture on his neck and wiped it on his pant leg. Esme was laughing along with the others, while I valued my life and stayed quiet. Carlisle turned to me and gestured to the clearing. He was the only one left that could represent for the boys, and I wondered how far he would go to get the win. I was still very easily distracted, which Carlisle knew. It would not take much for him to beat me.

"Take it easy on her Carlisle." Esme cheered from the sidelines of our impromptu battle ground.

"No way, kick her ass!" Emmett yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Too bad he could not play professional football, he was a great team player.

I tore my eyes from our bickering audience to watch Carlisle stalking around me. He was trying to force me into the trees behind me, but I knew he would have too many chances to get around me if I allowed that. I stood my ground as he got closer, his instincts taking over as his lips curled up over his teeth. It was incredibly erotic to see his animalism coming out. The usually calm patriarch of the family could really be vicious if needed. He did a good job distracting me, because when he lunged at me I was completely unprepared. I tried to shift to the side to avoid the hit, but he was on me before I could move. He pinned my arms to my side and threw us down to the ground, his weight immobilizing me. I could hear Edward shouting something over the snarls coming from Carlisle, but I could not make out the words. I knew I needed to find some way to get out of his hold before he managed to get to my throat.

I could feel he had one of his legs in between mine and I quickly kicked my shoes off. I wiggled my toes to the hem of his pant leg until they could grip the material. I swiftly pushed my feet down, bringing his pants with them. Carlisle jumped off of me quickly as he tried to pull his pants back up. I took the opportunity to sit up and give him a sharp bite on his throat, to the delight of the ladies. The boys were shocked as they watched their father yank his pants back up. No doubt they were surprised that the old man went commando.

I was swarmed by the girls as they celebrated our sweep over the boys. Alice told me my quick thinking had saved us, Carlisle had been seconds away from giving me a big slobbery kiss and ending the match. I was finally thankful for my freaky finger-like toes. Edward pushed through his sisters to get to me, enveloping me in a huge hug.

"Those are some talented tootsies you have there Bella." He whispered in my ear.

"I know right." I said, slightly embarrassed.

"Alright, let's get back to this. Now we have an idea how to get to the newborn's necks. We will spend the next few days practicing with each other to make sure we will be able to outmaneuver them. Bella, would you like to start to work on your shield?" Jasper asked. Carlisle flashed into the house and returned with a clear bag full of blood.

"I took the liberty of heading to the blood bank. I thought that was what you decided to do." Carlisle said as I stared at the bag. The background burning in my throat flared into full fledged flames as I watched the fluid shift in the plastic.

"I don't think I can do this." I whispered to Edward as I buried my face in his chest. I knew going to him was the wrong move, he was against anything having to do with me and human blood.

"Bella, do you want to try working on your shield without having the blood first?" He breathed in my ear as his hands moved up and down my arms. I nodded and turned away from the safety of Edward's arms.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked the group. Of course the first hand up was Emmett's.

"Ok brother bear, bring it." I teased as I closed my eyes and tried to find my shield among all of the other things flying through my mind. I could feel the vibrating energy lying next to the surface of my skin. It felt like I was in an earthquake, my skin and bones were trembling. I opened my eyes to see Emmett's face inches from mine, his nose squashed against the clear, immovable edge of my shield. I could hear the rest of my family cheering, but I knew if I let my concentration go, Emmett would be on me like white on rice. Emmett was finally peeled off of my shield by Rose and I could finally relax. It took a lot of energy to access my shield, and I knew that if I just took a taste of what was in the bag in Carlisle's hands it would be so much easier to use. But even though that blood was freely given, I knew that Edward's fears for our future would keep me from using it.

Everyone was celebrating the fact that my shield worked without me having to snack on a human. I made my way over to Edward. His blinding smile was all I could see as he dragged me into his arms.

"I am so proud of you." He whispered into my ear as he leaned down to kiss me. I parted my lips and pushed my tongue into his mouth. I could hear Jasper groan from across the driveway, but I was past caring.

"I want to try next! Get your tongue out of his mouth and let me have a chance at you." Jasper yelled.

I pulled my lips away from Edward and glared at Jasper. I knew we should keep practicing until I was better and quicker at accessing my shield, but all I wanted to do was take a shower with Edward. _What was with me and water all of the sudden?_

I moved out of Edward's embrace to face Jasper. Again I delved into my mind, searching for that fluttering feeling that signaled my shield. Just as I found it, I heard a loud yell and was suddenly pushed down to the ground. I opened my eyes to find Edward's face inches from mine.

"What is going on?" I demanded, pissed that he had interrupted me just as I had gotten my shield working.

"Alice." He said breathlessly as he pointed across the clearing to where our sister was huddled on the ground.

**A/N: Oh shit.. I know I suck. Sorry! See you Wednesday! **


	38. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**A/N: You all better be reading Dalloway5906's **_**Bittersweet. **_**I mean it, it is wonderful to read how she describes Rose's life before and after her change. It makes me kinda like Rose a little bit… no I would not go that far, I still hate her. But I try for Dally's sake. **

**Getting closer! The next chapter is already written and I am half way done with 39. We should be wrapping things up around chapter 42, and then a delicious epi!**

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it really means a lot to me that this little story is nearly at 600 reviews! I did not get a chance to reply to the reviews, but they are still staring at me from my inbox and I will reply!**

**BPOV**

For the love of all that is holy, can we not go five minutes without all hell breaking loose? Alice's piercing scream was echoing off of the trees surrounding the clearing. Jasper was trying to comfort her, but by the devastated look on his face, the emotions pouring out of her were distracting him. I turned to Edward, expecting him to be able to reassure me that Alice would be fine after her vision had passed, but his face was contorted into an agonized grimace. I placed my hands on either side of his face, gently rubbing his temples.

"What is going on baby?" I whispered, trying to get him to make eye contact with me.

"They are coming." He breathed as Alice's cried turned into pathetic whimpers.

"When? Who?" Esme shouted as she looked up from Alice's crumpled form.

"Maria sent a hunting party to gather information. It looks like they have a tracker with them as well as someone whose gift is similar to Jasper's." Edward said as Alice's head whipped up in his direction and they shared a meaningful glance.

"No! Stop this right now!" I shouted, pulling Edward's face so our noses were touching. "This stops now. The evasive answers, the secretive looks, I have had enough. We all need to know exactly what is going on if we are going to be able to stand together and fight."

Edward sighed and gently removed my hands from his face. I could see red marks on his perfect skin from the pressure of my fingers.

"Of course, you are right my precious girl. Alice told you about the vision she had with you and the playground?" He asked and I slowly nodded.

"I thought the only way Maria would ever be able to coax you away from us would be to have someone who could control a person's emotions, as Jasper does."

"You fucking bastard." Jasper's quiet voice interrupted. "You actually thought I would have something to do with Maria again?"

"Jasper, no." Alice whispered, reaching up to try and grab onto him as he shrugged away from her.

"I never doubted you Jasper, but in Alice's vision, Bella looked exactly as she does when you are manipulating her emotions. What did you expect me to think?" Edward answered quietly.

Emmett jumped in front of Jasper as he tried to rush towards Edward. Esme gasped as she watched her family slowly coming apart. Edward pushed me behind his body as Emmett struggled to hold onto Jasper. Rose was staring at Emmett and Jasper, her eyes glazed over. Carlisle was comforting Alice who was silently sobbing as her brother and husband fought against each other. How could things have deteriorated so quickly? My mind was spinning as I listened to the vicious snarls coming from Jasper and Edward's answering growls. This was not the strong, untied family I knew. What was happening to us?

"Stop!" I yelled as I pushed away from Edward and spun in circles, searching the trees around us. I could feel the electric humming of my shield as I was unconsciously deflecting the hits from someone's powers. That is what was causing our family to turn on each other, someone was messing with us. A slight movement in the high branches of a tree near the house caught my eye. Sitting there, up high in the tree was someone I knew. Her look of extreme concentration gave me the time I needed to gain control of my shield and project it across the clearing, protecting my family from her manipulation. Jasper immediately stopped struggling with Emmett and his face was adorably confused. I could feel Edward turn towards me, his eyes following mine up into the tree above us. Noticing that her powers were no longer working, her beautiful face morphed into an angry scowl as she jumped out of tree, landing gracefully on her feet.

"I see you have made some progress with your shield. Last thing Maria had heard, you were pretty useless." She said as she slowly walked towards me. I could feel Edward's muscles tensing next to me, ready to pounce if she attacked. I put my hand behind me, signaling him to stay back. I had a tenuous hold on my shield, and I wanted to make sure I stayed between the two of them. From the corner of my eye I saw Alice's face go slack as she had a vision. Her blinding smile a second later confirmed that my plans were going to be successful.

"I am still pretty useless, until you try to mess with my loved ones." I said as I moved closer to her. I could feel my shield absorbing her attacks as she tried to manipulate our bonds again.

"You see Chelsea, for some reason I need to have the correct kind of motivation for my shield to work. It is just your bad luck that you have given me that motivation by trying to fuck with my family." I snarled as I quickly closed the distance between us and wrapped my hand around her throat.

"It was really not that hard to break your ties you know, especially with that one over there. He does not want to be here, he is only here with you because of his bond with his mate." She rasped, inclining her head towards where Jasper was standing.

"Your mind games will not work with us Chelsea. I know it is difficult for you to understand, because you have never seen a family like ours before, but there is nothing that can tear us apart." I snapped as I tightened my grip on her delicate throat. Her eyes bulged slightly as the pressure increased, cutting off her air and leaving her blessedly silent. Edward gently laid his hand on my shoulder as he whispered in my ear.

"I think you should let Jasper and Emmett deal with her Bella."

I was shaking my head before he finished speaking.

"No Edward, she is mine." I growled as I brought my other hand up to her throat and squeezed with all my strength. I looked deep into her eyes, which flew wide as she suddenly realized that I was going to bring an end to her existence.

"Any final words?" I asked sweetly as I loosened my grip so she could take a breath.

"Maria is going to destroy you all." She groaned as she tore her eyes from mine and stared at someone across the clearing.

The high pitched squeal surprised me as I tightened my hands, breaking her spine as her head flopped uselessly to the side, her eyes gazing vacantly. As I dropped her limp body to the ground, I looked around at my family. The boys looked awed, most likely surprised that I had the strength to take her down. Alice and Rose had big smiles stretched across their faces, their sisterly pride evident. I could not see Esme's face, she had it buried in Carlisle's chest. Edward was quickly beside me as I continued to stare at our mother, silently begging her to look at me. I was shocked when she finally did raise her eyes to mine. The disappointment and anger was clearly displayed across her features and as I heard Edward's quiet gasp, I knew her thoughts were saying the same.

I pushed away from Edward and ran into the trees, pushing my legs faster and faster as I tried to rid my mind from the memory of my mother's face. My breath came out in ragged sobs as I finally had to stop when I found myself on the shores of an immense body of water. Looking around I realized that I was at the Arctic Ocean. A quick calculation in my head showed me I had run over 1500 miles from home. I collapsed on the icy ground, willing myself to forget the way Esme looked at me. My breath came out in white puffs, a testament to how cold the air was. I could barely hear the quiet footsteps approaching over my sobs. I took a deep breath of frigid air, trying to figure out who had followed me. I would have thought it would be Edward or possibly Emmett, since my biggest brother was so protective. I was surprised when I realized that it was Carlisle who materialized through the trees. He sat down next to me and rubbed his hand up and down my back as I continued to have a mini-breakdown.

"You realize she was beside herself when you went running away." He whispered. I knew he was right, even if she was disgusted with me, she was still a mom and would be worried about me. I could not catch my breath to speak, so I nodded.

"Edward thinks Chelsea managed to get past your shield at the last minute causing Esme's bond with you to be severed." He said. It made perfect sense, I was distracted and was not sure if I had maintain my shield while I took care of Chelsea. That must have been who she was staring at. My cries slowly faded to quiet whimpers and I could finally speak again.

"Does she still hate me?" I whispered, the thought of my beautiful, warm mother hating me making my stomach tighten.

"We can't understand it." He said, and I knew he did not want to say the words out loud. She did, she hated me. My sobs started again and Carlisle pulled me up into his arms, pushing my head into his chest. The reality hit me and my cries turned to screams so loud, large chunks of the glacier we were sitting on went crashing into the turbulent water below.

I dimly recognized that Carlisle had stood and was slowly walking back the way we came. At some point in the trip my voice must have finally given out and I was left unable to speak. My arms wrapped uselessly around Carlisle's neck as we got closer to home. I could feel Edward's presence as he gently took me from Carlisle's arms and slowly sat down, cradling me in his lap.

"She does not hate you. She is just a little confused right now." He whispered in my ear. I laughed silently at his stupidity. I saw the way she looked at me, I knew hate when I saw it. Chelsea had broken the love and trust that bound us together as mother and daughter. I had no idea what it would take to earn back that trust.

**EPOV**

When Bella sprinted away from me I panicked. I started running after her, only to be stopped by Jasper.

"She is a mess right now Edward. She needs some time to decompress before any of us try and bring her back. And I think you are the last one she needs to be around her right now." He said as he held my hands behind my back.

"What do you mean, I am exactly who she needs." I demanded, but as I listened to his thoughts I realized that Jasper was absolutely correct.

_You know how Esme really feels, you heard it and I felt it. I have no idea how she managed to get past Bella's shield, but Chelsea completely decimated the relationship between Esme and Bella. In place of the love and respect, she only feels hate, anger and contempt for Bella now. _

I looked over Jasper's shoulder and watched as Rose and Alice fell naturally into Esme's embrace, and my heart clenched as I realized Bella would not be welcomed into Esme's arms any time soon.

"What do we do?" I whispered.

"I'll go find her son. I'll bring her back." Carlisle said as he stepped away from his wife's side. I could hear the disappointment in his thoughts at Esme's actions, but I knew she had no choice but to feel the way she had. Chelsea had completely changed her, and she had no other option but to hate Bella.

Carlisle went running in the direction Bella had disappeared and Esme watched him with a scowl. She thought he was betraying her by going after Bella. I felt Jasper's arms tighten further as he felt my anger and Esme's betrayal. I wanted nothing more than to smash my fist through her perfect face when she wondered silently if Bella was luring Carlisle away in order to seduce him. Jasper and Emmett carried me into the house and sat me down on the piano bench as Rose and Alice escorted Esme upstairs to their bedroom.

"Dude, what is going on?" Emmett chuckled. He quieted quickly when he met my furious gaze.

"Chelsea dissolved the bond between Esme and Bella. Now all Esme can feel is hate towards her." Jasper explained. My hands were clenched into fists as I listened in on the girl's conversation on the upper floor.

"I am so glad that girl is gone. I hated that she was coming between us, my daughters." Esme cooed.

_Edward, she really detests Bella now. All I can see is this causing a rift between us when Maria comes to fight. We need to find a way to fix this. _ Alice thought as she let Esme fuss with her hair.

Emmett's disbelieving snort brought me back into our conversation.

"Esme loves Bella, there is nothing that could change that." He demanded.

"Chelsea's gift seems to sever the connection that deals with trust in a relationship. If Bella can some how earn back Esme's trust, she might be able to win back her love as well." Jasper said. I wondered if he had been able to feel the emotions being cut when Chelsea attacked Esme.

"I need to go and wait for them." I said quietly as I slowly got up off of the bench and started walking towards the door. I could hear her quick footsteps coming down the stairs before I heard her speak.

"Edward, where are you going?" Esme questioned as she came over to me and pushed an errant curl off of my forehead.

"I need to go find Bella." I said, my voice emotionless. I could hear her thoughts getting angry as I said this. She wanted me nowhere near Bella for fear she would corrupt me.

"I'm going." I growled before she could speak and turned and flew out of the door. I met them 100 miles away from the house. I could see how broken Bella was, and Carlisle's thoughts of how she looked when he found her made my breath catch in my throat. Bella had told me very little about her mother, but from what I could tell they never had the typical mother/daughter relationship. Bella had been forced into a parental role by the time she was 10 years old, having to deal with the bills and making sure that both she and her mother had food to eat. I knew she was thrilled to able to have the kind of relationship she had with Esme, since she missed out on it with her real mother. Now she had nothing.

"She does not hate you. She is just a little confused right now." I said quietly. I could feel her body shaking with disbelieving laughter. I wanted nothing more than to hear her voice, but Carlisle's thoughts had explained that she had screamed herself mute.

"She needs some time. Alice can see that if we are not able to repair your relationship, Maria will use it to separate us. And if we do not fight together, we will fall."

**A/N: Don't hate me, I have a plan! See you Sunday!**


	39. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Dalloway5906 was swamped with chapters from me this week. I have up to chapter 40 already written. That takes us halfway through the battle. Things should wrap up *cry* around chapter 42. She used her super fast ninja skills on these chapters!

I am VERY proud to be participating in the Eclipse addition of The Fandom Gives back auction. I am auctioning off *Chuckles* an outtake of 'Silent Auction' and an original OS of your choosing. The bidding starts June 27th and goes till July 4th.

**The URL for the OS auction**

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Every little bit helps to raise money for this wonderful cause. So break your piggy bank and bid on me! Otherwise I will be making Dally and the hubs do it!

Oh… and by the way… anyone doing anything exciting this week? I am heading to NJ with Dally and her Twicrew to see Twilight, New Moon and then ECLIPSE! I totes did not get much done because I was looking at premiere pictures all week! Check out my new avi, I totally heart KLutz!

I will be posting later than usual on Wednesday since I will (hopefully) be sleeping late after the midnight showing!

**BPOV  
**

As Edward held me against his body I could hear the thuds Carlisle's feet made as he ran through the forest back to the house. I was dreading having to return back to the house, knowing now how Esme was reacting to what Chelsea had done. Would she make the rest of the family choose between her or me?

We were still miles away from the house, but I could hear Esme shouting as clearly as if she was standing next to me. Obviously Carlisle had told her he brought me back.

"You brought her back here? You do realize that Maria's army is coming because of _her_ don't you. If Aro had not taken such an interest in her, Maria would probably have just passed our little coven by. What are we waiting for? Leave her here and let them have her. We can go up to Alaska with Tanya and her sisters. Edward will forget about her when he sees Tanya again. She has always felt like a daughter to me, it will be nice for Edward to marry her and bring her into the family. Did anyone think to get his ring back from that girl? Better yet, why not invite all of the girls down here?" She shouted. I could hear Alice and Rose trying to calm her down, but she would not be pacified.

Edward's body tightened with rage under me. My brain knew that Esme really did not mean the things she was saying, but my heart was breaking listening to her plan Edward's future with Tanya.

"We will leave. With Demetri gone, maybe we can hide from Maria." He whispered in my ear. I shook my head sadly.

"No Edward, don't you remember there was a tracker with Chelsea. Whoever it is knows how to find us now, all of us. You were the one who told me what Alice had foreseen if we did not stand and fight as a family. We will all die." I said quietly.

"I can't have my own mother slowly destroying you." He said, his voice breaking on the last word.

"The only thing that would destroy me would be to lose my family. Even though she hates me, Esme is still your mother, and therefore mine as well. We just need to find a way for her to trust me again." I slowly pulled myself from his embrace and held my hand out to him. He shook his head as he accepted my hand, standing up and following me back towards the house. We stopped along the way to hunt, my body was spent after running as far as I had. The closer we got to the house, the more rigid and upset Edward got. I could tell he was listening in on our family, and whatever he was hearing must not have been good.

As we started up the front stairs, the door flew open and Emmett used his broad shoulders to block our entrance. Edward grunted as if in pain as Emmett replayed the last few hours through his thoughts.

"Just tell me already." I said quietly, not quite sure if I was ready to hear what was happening.

"Esme made Carlisle call Tanya and her sisters. They had already heard about what was happening with Maria's army and were planning on contacting us to see if we needed help. You know Tanya jumped at the chance to come down here and play savior to you Eddie boy. They should be here by morning." He said, trying to keep his voice down so he did not alert Esme to our presence. I tried to hold the growl back, I really did, but it erupted from my chest without warning. I spun away from Edward and Emmett and took my aggression out on the pots of flowers lining the porch railing. Dirt and petals flew everywhere as I pulled and tugged at the innocent blooms. When I finally felt under control I turned back around to see both boys holding back laughter.

"What!" I snapped.

"You have a little something right here my love." Edward chuckled as he walked forward and ran his fingers through my hair. A shower of petals floated to my feet as he untangled them. I sighed as I relaxed under the pressure of his strong hands and Emmett continued to stare at us.

"I know Emmett, I know." He whispered and I saw Emmett nod his head before heading back into the house.

"What did he say?" I asked, hesitant to do anything that would stop the movements of his fingers against my scalp.

"He thinks of you as a sister, they all do. They are all very upset with how Esme is treating you. Rose is handling things the worst." He admitted.

"Why Rose? I thought she was the favorite daughter. She should be happy that I am finally out of the way."

"She loves you, even though she may not always show it. Even though she is not able to have a child of her own, her maternal instincts are very strong. She is very angry with Esme that her bond with you, her child, was so easily severed." He said and his hands finally dropped from my hair.

"We better go face the music." I said as I again pulled his hand into mine and led the way.

Alice and Jasper were huddled together on the couch. They briefly looked up as we entered the room, but quickly returned their gazes to each other. I could tell that the emotions in the house were doing a number on Jasper and no doubt, the future looked bleak through Alice's visions. I did not think I would want to socialize either.

Rose was standing near the large picture windows, staring out into the quickly encroaching night. Emmett was slowly making his way up the stairs, his footfalls loud in the near silence of the house. I wondered where Esme and Carlisle were, but the raised voices from the kitchen answered my question.

"Of course they can stay here with us, it would be asinine for them to stay in a hotel. They have always stayed here when they visit. Kate and Irina can take the guest room and Tanya can stay with Edward. I guess it was a good thing we invested in that huge bed. I can just see those two needing the room to spread out." Esme chuckled.

"Darling, I really think you need to process what you are saying. Bella and Edward are engaged, you can't just offer their room to our guest." He said wearily.

"They are NOT engaged. They will get married over my headless, smoldering body!" She shouted. Alice quietly whimpered and Jasper pulled her further into the safety of his chest. I could feel Edward yanking on my hand, trying to get me away from the horrible things spewing from his mother's lips. I knew this was not the true Esme speaking, and it gave me the strength to remove my hand from Edward's punishing grip and stride into the kitchen. Esme looked up at me with disgust and Carlisle was waving his hands at me, trying to signal me to get the hell out of there. I shook my head at him and turned to my mother.

"Esme, I know you are feeling some...animosity towards me right now, but…"

"Animosity? You think that is what I am feeling for you my dear? No, what I feel for you is pure disgust. You tricked my entire family into feeling something for you, but I am not so blind. Where is your real mother huh? I know where she is, she deserted you. You are nothing, worthless. I don't know how you pulled the wool over Edward's eyes, but once Tanya gets here and he sees how beautiful and honest and kind she is, he will forget about you." She sneered. I could feel my eyes tingling with phantom tears and I lowered my head and blinked swiftly, trying to make the feeling stop. She was absolutely right, Renee had deserted me. She met her new hot stuff husband Phil and could not ship me off to my father fast enough. I heard from her once a month if I was lucky and Phil reminded her that she had a daughter.

I could see Carlisle's hands clenching into fists as he listened to his wife's rant, but I was quick to put my hand up to stop him. I did not want this to affect the other relationships in the family. We need to stand united to face Maria, and right now the only rift was between me and Esme. I cleared my throat from the lump of emotions lodged there and turned to face Esme.

"You are correct about my mother Esme, she did leave me to fend for myself. But now I have found Edward and his family, and they have accepted me as their own. I know you are not happy about this, but now is not the best time to be making ultimatums. I'll make you a deal, if when Tanya arrives Edward would rather be with her," with this I heard a snarl from the other room, but I continued, "then I will leave." She looked somewhat relieved that she might be able to be rid of me soon and nodded her head.

"Fine, then I guess you should start packing your bags because the girls will be here in the morning. Edward, take your slut upstairs and out of my sight." She shouted, making me cringe at the distain in her voice.

Edward was quickly at my side, not bothering to spare his mother a glance. He looked pointedly at Carlisle before sweeping me off my feet and sprinting up the stairs. As we entered the haven of our bedroom I could not hold the sobs in any longer. The loud cries broke free from my chest and I pushed my face against Edward's shirt, hoping to keep Esme from hearing. I could feel Edward's strong chest shaking under me and raised my eyes to his face only to find that he was crying along with me.

"Don't cry baby, I am fine." I said between hiccupping breaths.

"I can't watch you go through this day after day. It will only get worse once Tanya gets here. Between the two of them they will have you out the door within hours." He whispered as I peppered kisses all over his face, trying to distract him from the quiet sobs that were still falling from my lips.

"No, I can be strong. I know you love me, and that is all that matters." I breathed as I was finally able to get myself under control. We snuggled together, my head resting on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair. I found myself almost drifting off until Alice's sudden exclamation from the floor below jerked me awake and we both rushed down the stairs to see what was going on. As we rounded the corner we found Alice staring blankly out the window where Rose was still standing.

"Here they come. They made wonderful time." Edward said, his voice lacking any emotions. Esme was overflowing with excitement as she rushed out of the door and into the waiting arms of a statuesque creature. Her hair was long, blonde with a slight pink tinge to the curls. Her body was not quite as curvy as Rosalie's, but I could see the appeal. Even in my perfect vampire state, I was still in the shadow of her beauty. Her eyes drifted over Esme's shoulder and landed on Edward, whose arm was painfully tight around my waist. She whispered something into Esme's ear and I could feel a growl vibrate through Edward as he listened in on their thoughts. Esme let out a loud laugh at whatever Tanya had said and turned around, keeping her arm around Tanya, and looked to where we were standing.

"Yes Tanya, she is the problem we need taken care of. I am sure with your years of experience and the knowledge you already have of Edward, you should be able to deal with her with your eyes closed." Esme said, and I heard another growl come from inside the house. Amazingly it sounded like it came from Rosalie. Tanya sauntered over to us, and Edward pushed me slightly behind his body, as if he was worried she would hurt me.

"Hello Edward, long time no see." She purred as she extended her hand to him. He took it hesitantly and I felt a shiver rip through him as if her thoughts were intensified through her touch. Seeing her perfectly petite hand incased in Edward's large masculine one made my chest hurt. I turned away from them, only to be met by the curious stares of the other two Denali sisters. One was ethereal with silver blonde hair that only reached to her chin. The other beauty had amazingly long pale blonde hair and stood away from the others with her hands clasped against her body. I wanted nothing more than to be able to crawl into a hole and live there in the dark as I stood in comparison to these beautiful women.

Edward was still trying tactfully to remove his hand from Tanya's grip. He quietly snarled and yanked it away from her as he turned to me.

"Is what Jasper saying true?" He whispered as he gripped my shoulders tightly and shook me slightly. I wished I knew what he was talking about, but the fire in his eyes was making it hard to form words.

"I don't…what do you mean?" I stuttered out, causing the Denali women to laugh.

"You really got the pick of the litter here with this one didn't you Edward?" The silver blonde starlet said. He bared his teeth to her and looked back at me, shaking me again for good measure.

"You are not beneath anyone. Don't even think about comparing yourself to anyone else in the world, because in my eyes you will always come out on top." He snarled at me. His extreme aggression was really doing a number on my panties, and as he suddenly inhaled sharply I knew he realized that.

"That is much better my precious girl. You are the most important thing in the world to me, above all else." He whispered as he pulled me forcefully into his arms. I greedily inhaled his scent, allowing his calming fragrance to sooth me.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Tanya retreating back to where he sisters were standing. She glanced at the one with the long hair, but she shook her head sadly and Tanya stomped her foot like a child. I guess she realized that in Edward's eyes the only thing that would tear me from him would be death. The sisters all came forward and introduced themselves. I was surprised to feel an electric hum against my shield when I shook hands with the one with long hair, Kate. She looked at me, surprised, and then glanced guiltily at Edward as he gasped at her thoughts.

"Thankfully she is a shield Kate, but I don't appreciate you trying to shock my fiancée." He scolded as he tugged my hand away from her. Tanya giggled at her sister's expense and moved over towards the house.

"Where am I staying?" She asked coyly. Esme started to speak, but Carlisle interrupted her.

"I have set up the guest room for Irina and Kate and Alice and Rose have helped me arrange things in the basement for you Tanya. I think you will appreciate all of the hard work the girls have done in order to make you comfortable." He said diplomatically. There was really no way she could blow off Carlisle's hospitality without looking like a total bitch.

"Oh, ok." She said surprised. She turned and retrieved her bags and followed Carlisle and her sisters into the house. Esme sneered at me before going in the house herself, no doubt hoping she could brainstorm with Tanya to try and break Edward and I apart.

I was suddenly completely relaxed as I sagged against Edward's side. The crooked grin on Jasper's face explained my emotions, and I gave him a small smile in return. Alice was sitting next to him on the ground, her eyes gazing unseeing into the woods. Edward was staring at her, immersed in her vision through her thoughts. The relaxing emotions that were surging through me suddenly changed into anxiety and fear as Jasper caught the sensations Alice was giving off as she was absorbed in her vision.

Alice's eyes fluttered and she looked, panicked, towards Edward.

"How long?" He breathed.

"An hour, maybe less." She whispered.

"What is going on!" I demanded as the emotions projecting from Jasper made me even more agitated and frightened.

"The tracker that came with Chelsea reported back to Maria. She thinks because Esme has us fighting amongst each other, now would be a good time to attack. They are leaving Portland now." Edward said.

"How many are there?" Jasper asked, always the planner.

"In the vision they were coming through the trees over there." Alice said, pointing to the far end of the driveway. "It looked like there were at least 20 of them."

"That many?" I breathed. "Not too bad, at least everyone will get to take down two of them." I said, trying to lighten the oppressive mood that had settled over us since Alice's vision. Alice and Edward shared a look and Jasper grabbed her arm and shook her roughly.

"No secrets!" He bellowed, causing everyone in the house to come out onto the porch.

"They have two very gifted vampires with them. If Bella is unable to protect us with her shield, it would only take one of them to take us all out." Alice said. The dread that oozed from Jasper coated everyone and the only sound heard was Esme's cackling laughter.

"I told you we would all die because of her!" She chuckled.

**A/N: You still here? You still trust me right? Ok, now go and prepare for Eclipse.  
**

**I just have to send this out:**

**Paper CutOuts is AWESOME!**

** It is AH and their Bella is sooo amazingly awkward.**

**http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5993984/1/**


	40. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**A/N: I am EXHAUSTED! I drove 2 and a half hours each way to watch Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse and then had to wake up at 9am when my kids got up. So worth it! I got to meet Dalloway5906's best Twi-mate DianeCourt and one of her good buddies. Forgive me for posting this so late, I am still all hopped up on coffee and Red Bull. **

**I apologize for the brevity of this chapter. I wanted to keep all of the action together. I do think you will enjoy what is in here!**

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. They are all still sitting in my inbox waiting for me to reply, which I will. I love you all!**

**Dalloway5906 did her magic with this chapter as always. Make sure you have her story 'Bittersweet' on alert cause things are about to get real over there and if you saw Eclipse and enjoyed Rose's flashback, you will REALLY enjoy 'Bittersweet'. I'm just sayin'.**

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**BPOV**

Time, time… not enough time. An hour, that was what Alice said. If I were driving it would take me nearly 5 hours, but of course vampires were not dependent on cars for transportation. They would be able to run through the thickly forested area undetected. The weather report said that the sun would be hiding behind heavy clouds all day, so there was no chance of their shimmering skin giving them away to the unsuspecting humans. Not that there would be anything a human could do against a wild pack of newborn vampires out to follow their master and decimate any coven that would not join with hers.

The entire family was still standing, staring at me as I cringed against Edward's side. I had always been the wall flower, never wanting to be the center of attention. I skipped my high school graduation because I did not want to have to walk across the stage and risk falling on my ass in front of my classmates. How was I going to be able to handle the fact that if I did not get my shield working, then every person standing in front of me would die?

Esme was still laughing quietly, sounding like she was sloshed out of her mind. How could she think our imminent death was amusing? I think she was just hoping that they would kill me and the rest of her family would be fine. Hell, at this point that was all I was hoping for. My worst fear was that I would only be able to protect myself with my shield and be forced to watch my family brutally killed right in front of me.

Jasper turned towards me as those thoughts were running through my head.

"Don't you dare. We will stand united and whatever happens… happens. You don't see Alice beating herself down because she did not see this earlier. You don't see me worryin' that I won't be able to weigh them down with fatigue when they get here in order to try and immobilize them. Yes, we have gifts that could help us defeat Maria, but if we don't trust in ourselves then no one will. I think it is fucked up that they are layin' this all at your feet, but if that's what Alice sees, then that is what is goin' to happen. Now you go out with your man and take a few minutes to hunt till the blood is oozing out of your ears. Carlisle will have the donor blood in a cooler on the porch in case we need it." He said as he shooed us away and turned towards his still snickering mother.

"Get it together or get out. You know I love you, but right now you are more of a liability than anything else. Get your head out of your ass and realize that if our family stands a chance at defeating Maria, we need to do it together."

He shook his head slightly as he whipped around towards Alice.

"Great God damn woman, we are facing death and you can't get your mind out of the gutter? Put the lust away for a second and help me down some trees to make barricades." He said fondly as Alice ducked her chin to her chest, no doubt embarrassed that Jasper picked up on her horniness. Can't say I blame her, Jasper giving orders is about as hot as Edward getting pissed.

Edward all but dragged me out of the clearing and into the woods. I allowed him to lead me towards a grazing herd of mule deer, and after taking down three, I felt like Jasper would have been proud. I stood from burying my last kill and was suddenly thrown down against the ground. I whipped my head around to find Edward standing above me, his nostrils flaring with each deep breath he took.

"Get naked… right now." He growled. I was in a daze as I complied, sliding my pants and shirt off without getting off of the ground. I never broke eye contact as he removed his clothes as well and reached down and grabbed my arms, dragging me up his body. When I was standing upright, he tugged me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist and I took the opportunity to grind my wetness against his straining cock. I tried, unsuccessfully to choke back a sob as I felt his tip poised at my entrance.

"I know baby, I know." He whispered in my ear as he thrust into me. His kisses were punishing, as if he were trying to devour me. I met him thrust for thrust, kiss for kiss, and bite for bite. I cried out as he reached places inside me I didn't even know existed. Our pace was frantic, knowing that time was short. I could feel my body falling into ecstasy, but wanted him to come with me. Knowing that this could very well be the last time I was with him, I wanted us to come together. I whispered nonsense into his ear, biting down on his earlobe and dragging my teeth down his neck. His body tightened and I could tell he was just a few more thrusts away from coming. I squeezed my legs around him and threw my head back, as colors exploded behind my eyes and my body contracted around him. I could feel him coming inside me as he called out my name, burying his face in my neck.

His legs collapsed and we fell in a heap of limbs on the dirt. He brought his hand up to my face, tracing the path my tears would have fallen. I did the same with him, and could not help but follow my fingers with my lips. The thought that I would never again be able to see the love reflected in his beautiful eyes was more than I could stand. If I had my greatest wish, it would be that he would run as far away from this mess as he could. But I knew he would never desert me or his family. I just hoped that by some miracle, this would not be the last time I was wrapped in his arms.

**EPOV**

I can't do this. I can't face the army that is coming for us, knowing that Bella is going to fail. Alice had seen it happen, over and over as she replayed the vision in her head, looking and praying that this time something will have changed and we all survive. But no, nothing changes.

In a little over an hour, Maria and her army of newborns would come marching through the woods. Along with her, she had a pair of vampires with special gifts. She had only succeeded in destroying as many covens as she had because of them. Zafrina was originally from Africa, before Maria found and changed her. She had the ability to project a vision directly into your mind, whether it be complete darkness or a vivid landscape. She had used this power to completely disorient her adversaries, making it easy for the newborns to come in and start ripping heads off.

Maria's other pride and joy was a young vampire named Benjamin. He had the rare power of being able to control the four elements of nature. With a flick of his hand he was able to bring a flood or tornado from out of nowhere. Earthquakes and brush fires were easy as pie for him. Maria kept him very close to her because he could act as a flame thrower and set fire to anyone who dared come close to her.

In Alice's vision, that is how Emmett died.

In Alice's vision, Rose followed after Emmett, rage distracting her from the fact that Benjamin now had his eyes set on her.

In Alice's vision, Zafrina forced Esme and Jasper into complete darkness, and without the ability to sense that an attack was coming, the newborns were able to dismember them in seconds.

In Alice's vision, Bella tried hard to keep Alice, Carlisle and I behind her, hoping that she would be able to protect us through touch.

In Alice's vision, every one of us perished while Bella was forced to watch. Maria left me for last, subjecting me to the most brutal kind of destruction I had ever witnessed.

It was not for my sake that I was praying Alice's vision not come to fruition, it was the agonized look on Bella's face as I died that kept my hopes alive. Maria wanted Bella as her newest pet, and she would stop at nothing to keep that from happening.

I was brought out of my horrific thoughts as Bella snuggled deeper into my embrace. I had not meant to seduce her after we finished hunting, but knowing that Alice's vision was a distinct possibility made me crazy. I was rough, I knew I was, but I was unable to stop myself. I needed her to know how deeply I loved her.

I slowly got up, helping her back into her clothing and putting on mine as well. I encouraged her to climb onto my back, wanting to prolong our intimacy. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and I took off running. Her hair blew back from her face and she laughed loudly. Her laughter turned to sobs as we got closer to the house. I gently pulled her around me so she was facing me. I slowed to a walk and cradled her head in my palm.

"We will find a way to stay together. And even in death I would find a way to get to you. I'll be the first vampire ghost." I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not funny you jerk. I don't want you to haunt me forever, I want us to be together forever." She whined.

The mood shifted as she teased me and I ran the rest of the way back to the house. Alice and Jasper were stacking tree trunks along the driveway, hoping to be able to disorient the newborns and give us some time. Emmett and Rose were practicing hand to hand combat, but I think it was just an excuse to touch each other. Rose's face was a mask of calm, but Emmett was devastated by the thought of losing Rose. He was concerned that he would be eliminated first and not be able to protect her. He also worried that even if some of us survived, we would blame Bella for the loss of the others. I had to admit that I had not considered that. It made me think that even if we survived, our coven would not. Bella and I would be forced out because it would be too hard to look at her every day and know she had not been able to save everyone.

Carlisle was stuffing bags of blood into an ice filled cooler on the side of the porch. The smell was potent, but eased when he shut the lid. I did not think it would distract anyone when the fighting started. Esme walked onto the porch with Tanya following on her heels. Irina and Kate were helping Alice clear the surrounding area of brush, hoping that if there was nothing to catch fire, Benjamin would not be able to start a blaze. Bella eased her death grip on me and I lowered her to the ground. With one last chaste kiss she went off to help Alice and the girls. I whistled lowly at Alice and she projected her latest vision to me. And…

Nothing had changed. It was still the same, and they would arrive in less than 20 minutes.

A/N: Part one of THE FIGHT comes on Sunday! Hold onto your hats, things are about to get crazy.

Are you reading Little Fish, Big Fish yet? If not I am gonna come kick some ass!


	41. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**A/N: Are you ready for the first part of the big battle? I finally finished the second part today after some hand holding from Dalloway5906. She is the only reason you will be getting the chapter on Wednesday, otherwise I was going to have to push it back a week. But rest assured the culmination of the battle will be up on Wednesday.**

**Dally posted an important chapter yesterday. If you are not reading "Bittersweet" you are missing out. Powerful stuff going on over there. If you saw Eclipse: the scene when Rose is attacked is much better through Dally's eyes. I'm just sayin'.**

**I finally caught up on my review replies! Thanks to all of you who consistently review and those who just drop in from time to time. You make my day when my inbox gets all filled up with your words of love!**

**Happy 4****th**** of July to my American readers. **

**And to my 39 readers from the Netherlands, 159 German readers and 34 readers from Spain… good luck on your upcoming matches. I don't have any readers from Uruguay, but good luck to you as well. **

**EPOV**

Jasper had everyone in place. According to Alice's vision, the first round of newborns would come from above, launching themselves out of the tree tops. Once we had been weakened by those first few, Zafrina and Benjamin would accompany Maria into the clearing. That was the point when Alice's vision waivered. Sometimes Bella managed to hold her shield so we were protected from Zafrina's mental attack but were vulnerable to the physical attack of the newborns and Benjamin. At other times we all were incased in the bubble of Bella's shield and no one could penetrate it, yet Zafrina had us all trapped in sensory blindness.

With her visions changing so swiftly, she was not able to give me any idea of what the outcome would be. We were set up in a half circle, with Emmett and Jasper at the point position and Bella and I standing dead center. Esme was next to Tanya, keeping a protective arm over her shoulder. I felt her hate filled gaze on Bella, and instantly shielded her with my body. We were going to face enough horror in the next few hours, at least I could stop Bella from having to deal with Esme.

Jasper tensed slightly as he caught the desperation and excitement oozing from the newborns as they approached. We look to the trees as the first war cries sounded around us. Bella's entire frame shook as she realized that the time had come. She had practiced in the few minutes before Jasper rallied us, but she was still unable to keep her shield constant when distracted. I had told everyone that we would not be relying on Bella's shield to keep us safe. Rose look relieved and Esme looked like she would skin me alive. I knew she wanted to be able to blame Bella when things went wrong.

Emmett was the first to charge when the newborns came soaring through the sky. The second their feet hit the ground, Emmett had managed to de-head two, while Jasper had ripped the arm off of another and the leg off of a third. The first wave was only six deep, which left two for the rest of us to deal with. I kept Bella behind me as one of them came barreling at us. Carlisle stepped in front of me and planted his foot in the midsection of the attacker, using the forward momentum of its body to grab hold of its skull and yank the head clear off. The body parts accumulated as Irina, Kate and Rose managed to dismember the last attacker. Jasper quickly set a small torch and lit the corpses on fire, dousing the flames with a bucket of water once they were reduced to ash. There was no need to tempt Benjamin with readily available flames.

"The rest should be here in five minutes." Alice yelled as Rose helped Emmett to his feet. He had a large wound on his shoulder from where one of the newborns took a bite out of him. It was healing quickly, but without feeding he would be weaker.

"Emmett, go and hunt quickly." I shouted. He shook his head and hesitated, but when Carlisle said the same thing, he ran off through the trees. I worried that the noise had scared off the wildlife, but Emmett was fast enough to cover a few miles and be back before the next attack.

"Alice, what do you see?" Bella shouted from behind me. Her little hands were clenched tightly in my shirt and I could feel her nails making holes through the fabric.

"It is still the same, Bella. I'm sorry…" She trailed off as her eyes glazed over. I followed her vision along with her as it came and when I saw what would happen I sprinted away from the clearing into the trees. How had she found him? There was no way she could have known we would send him to hunt.

I heard Emmett's mournful wail as I crested the hill. There below me were three of the newborns, tearing Emmett's arms from his body. I knew we would be able to reattach them, but right now the only thing I was concerned with was the amount of pain my brother was feeling. I could hear Jasper coming from behind me and we jumped between Emmett's attackers and his now limbless body. One of the newborns threw Emmett's arm far into the woods while the other one dropped it and turned to run. Jasper took off after the deserter while I stood my ground against the other two. Their thoughts were chaotic, and it made it very easy to follow their plans. One feigned right while the other came directly at me. I easily snapped the neck of the first one, while I followed the other through his thoughts. The second one was trying to make a break for it after watching how quickly I had dispatched with his friend, but I was faster than he was and jumped up into the trees, using the branches to sail over his head and drop down right in front of him. He looked up at me with wild, crimson eyes.

"Maria is going to kill you all and then take the girl for part of her army." He sneered.

I could feel the rage boiling inside of me at his carless words. Before I could stop myself I had sunk my teeth into his neck. I snapped and bit, ignoring his screams until I felt strong hands pulling me off. I looked up, remorsefully, into the faces of my brothers. They helped me gather the body and together we set fire to the three dead vampires. If Alice's calculations were correct we only had 14 left to deal with.

Jasper had managed to find Emmett's missing arm while he was taking care of the other vampire and had already helped to reattach it. We located the other arm and set that back in place as well. Emmett was unnaturally pale as he watched his skin heal over the severed arm.

We turned back towards the clearing, knowing that Alice had only given us five minutes until she saw the rest of the army attacking. It had been very close to that already and I knew we would have to hurry to get back before they….

"EDWARD!"

I was moving faster than I had ever gone before. I could hear both Jasper and Emmett's thoughts wondering what could possibly be happening to cause Esme to scream that loud.

**BPOV**

When Edward and Jasper took off from the clearing in the direction Emmett had gone, I knew exactly what was happening. I wanted to yell to Edward, to warn him that this was what she wanted, to separate us. But I knew I could not make him stop and allow them to hurt Emmett. His sudden loud screams caused Rose to start off running after the boys, but thankfully Carlisle held her back. Alice was still gazing unseeing into the woods. Esme stalked over to me, pointing her finger painfully into my chest.

"You are tearing this family apart! Don't you understand what you are doing? If you would just go out there and give yourself up all this would be over. They would leave us alone." She ranted. I was speechless. Did she not understand if I actually thought that would work I would do it in a second?

Alice's sharp gasp made Esme swing her head around. I could see the bushes moving, signaling the army's arrival. I immediately pushed Esme behind me as I moved to the front of our group. Alice came over and linked arms with me. I was sure we looked very menacing, two barely 100 pound vampires against a newborn army.

A young girl came running out first, her auburn hair snagging on branches as she passed through them.

"Please, you have to help me!" She cried as she collapsed at our feet.

I instantly kneeled down next to the girl, even though Alice tried to restrain me.

"What is wrong little one?" I asked, trying to get her to look at me. She raised her head and gaze up at me with bright red eyes, her lips shinny and glistening with fresh blood.

"She told me I could have whatever I wanted if I got to you first." She snarled as she jumped up towards me, trying to wrap her hands around my throat. Before she could gain purchase on me, Irina grabbed hold of her and threw her into Kate's waiting arms. The second Kate touched her flesh, the girl let out a shriek and dropped to the ground, immobilized. Carlisle had released Rose and was there instantly to snap the child's neck. Even though she had nearly managed to do the same to me, I felt a moment of sadness at the loss of the little girl.

I did not have long to worry about the child, because a swarm of newborns came running through the trees. I motioned everyone to move behind me, and everyone except for Esme and Tanya complied.

"Please Esme, Tanya, you have to get behind me. I don't know if I will be able to extend my shield that far!" I pleaded. Carlisle jumped from behind me and grabbed Esme in a death grip, pulling her along with him. Tanya stood still, watching the newborns approaching. I closed my eyes and visualized my shield, hoping I could reach out to cover Tanya as well. It was easier for me now since there was a real threat to my family. I was able to completely cover the others behind me, but was not able to reach Tanya. The attackers were approaching fast and if I did not get her into safety, she would be lost. I did not like her, but I knew how Esme and her sisters would feel if I did not do everything I could to save her.

I slowly stepped towards Tanya, making sure to keep the shield over everyone else. I could feel someone trying to push through the barrier and looked over to see a tall dark-skinned vampire with her hands up, palms facing us. She looked shocked to see that whatever she was trying to do was not working. I could not fight the smart-ass smile that spread over my face as I realized my shield was working.

Tanya was just within my reach, but I knew if I tried to extend my shield to cover her, I would pull it away from Rose, who was still standing, staring into the woods were we heard Emmett's painful yell. I reached my arm out, trying to grab her, but before I could touch her a powerful shutter shook the ground. I dropped to my knees, knowing if I tried to stay standing during the earthquake, I would not be able to hold onto my shield.

I could see Tanya on her knees in front of me, and I reached my hand out, trying to grab hold of her ankle to drag her to me. My fingers were on the edge of her shoe when someone stepped right on my hand. I must have allowed myself to get outside the safety of the shield when I was reaching for Tanya. I tried to pull the shield back over me, but it was too late. I looked up into the face of my captor, who could only be Maria. Her blood red eyes were alight with humor and her dark hair flowed freely down her back.

"That was easier than I thought it would be. Zafrina was right, if one of your family members was in danger, you would sacrifice yourself for them. I wonder, are you able to keep them safe if we torture you?" She sneered. I could see Tanya shuffling back with the others as Maria was talking to me. I could feel the moment she entered the safety of the shield. I glared up at Maria, knowing there was nothing I could say to keep her from hurting me. I only hoped she kept me alive long enough for the others to take out Zafrina and Benjamin. If she killed me, they would not be able to save themselves.

She pulled me roughly up by my hair, her powerful hands pulling some out by the roots. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to scream out in pain. She turned me around to face my family, all of whom were staring at us. I tried to give an encouraging wink to them, but Maria twisted my left arm back roughly as I did, and it came out more as a grimace than a wink. I could feel the strength of my shield wavering, but it held tight. Carlisle and Esme moved towards the edge of their protection, somehow knowing they could not go any further safely. I could see a change in Esme. I must have been able to earn back some of her trust after trying to save Tanya. Her eyes softened as she looked at me, and my chest tightened as I realized she was looking at me like she used to. My mother was back.

A searing pain spread across my shoulder and chest as I felt Maria pulling my arm from the socket. I could feel each individual muscle and nerve and artery separating, the pain unlike anything I had ever felt. I bit clean through my lower lip trying to hold back the agony. I could hear a scream, wondering if it was me, but it was not my cry of pain I heard, but that of my mother as she screamed for Edward.

**A/N: Yeah for Esme being back! Boo for the horrible cliffy. Sorry about that, I totes suck. But everything will be resolved on Wednesday!**

**Oh and I started a new story. Is is called "Darkness and Light" and it is AH and really different from Silent Auction. I would love it if you checked it out. **

http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6108324/1/


	42. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**A/N: Big freaking A/N here, but you will totally be confused if you don't read this.**

**I had a really hard time writing this chapter because there were so many things going on at the same time. I had 3 drafts going and finally gave up and just wrote it in the 3****rd**** person. So just picture Morgan Freeman narrating it for ya, m'kay!**

**There is only one chapter left *cry* and that will post on Sunday. There will be an epi that will post next Sunday (July 18****th****). I also auctioned off an SA outtake in the FGB auction, so that might eventually get published if the winner says it is ok.**

**Dalloway5906 is totally pissed at me for all of the shit I am throwing at the characters in my new story, 'Darkness and Light'. Seriously, she told me she would kill me if I made Emmett impotent. I'm not gonna lie, it is rough, but you gotta start somewhere to get to the happily ever after, right?**

**Dally has to be the best beta out there. I got this chapter and one of D&L back today which she did while watching her kids play in the sprinklers since it got up to 104 today! I owe you big time Dally… now get me some more Emmett. You are reading her 'Bittersweet', right?**

**Did you know the fandom helped to raise $122,753 for Alex's Lemonade Stand? It is amazing! Anyone who donated should pat themselves on the back. **

**My reviewers: you are amazing! I can't tell you how much you have kept me motivated through writing this story, which is my first. I love you all hard core and wish I could send you all cookies or homemade baby food or some shit like that!**

**OK, this is me shutting up so you can read the conclusion of the big battle!**

Edward's feet were flying as he approached the clearing. His brothers were somewhere behind him, but at this point all he cared about was getting to Bella. As he got closer he was finally able to hear the thoughts of his family, and it made him run that much faster as he realized what was happening to Bella.

Bella's severed arm was lying limply in Maria's hands, the fingers twitching occasionally. Maria started swinging it over her head like a lasso, taunting the Cullens to make a move. Maria wanted nothing more than to incite them to action and pull them from the safety of Bella's shield. She was surprised that even through the painful removal of her arm, Bella had been able to keep her family covered by the shield. She had to do something drastic to try and get her to drop the protective covering.

Inspiration struck as Maria called for Benjamin. She had witnessed the amazing things the young vampire could do with fire. The thought of forcing Bella to watch her own arm go up in flames made Maria giddy with excitement.

"Benjamin, get over here and let's see how she reacts to some firepower. Can't reattach it once it is ash." Maria giggled as she motioned to an olive skinned vampire. He sauntered towards where Maria was standing and snapped his fingers, bringing a flame dancing onto his palm. He looked straight at Bella as he gently blew against the flame and it jumped from his hand onto the tip of her pinky finger.

As the flame caught purchase on the impenetrable skin of Bella's pinky finger, Edward finally entered the clearing. He ran right for where Bella was huddled on the ground at Maria's feet. He grabbed her waist and pulled her backwards into the grouping of his family. Esme sprinted to them as he held her against his body, trying to calm her as the fire spread further down her arm. Bella barely realized that Emmett and Jasper had entered into her shield, but she was shocked when she felt someone slip out of it.

Tanya had seen how the Cullen family reacted to Bella's attack. She knew she would never be a part of their family as this brown-haired beauty was. It hurt her heart, because beneath the beautiful and aggressive façade, Tanya only craved acceptance and love. Realizing that the family would be devastated if Bella was destroyed, she devised a plan. Walking slowly away from her sisters, she made her way towards the porch. She knew how easily distracted newborn vampires could be. She only hoped that what she was planning would give the Cullens enough time to attack.

The flame had now spread onto Bella's ring finger, getting dangerously close to the beautiful diamond ring that signified Edward and Bella's love. Tanya's fingers had just closed on the handle of the cooler when Bella started yelling. Everyone looked towards Bella, petrified that even though her arm was not attached, she was still able to feel the flames licking against her flesh. While yes, Bella could feel the pain, she was not yelling because of that. She could see what Tanya was planning and even without Alice's power of precognition, she knew what it would mean if she managed to open the cooler.

Edward turned to where Tanya was standing and searched her thoughts. She understood what she was doing and wanted to do it to save his family. Edward's respect for the vapid blonde increased tenfold as she slowly opened the lid and extricated one of the multiple bags of human blood. Her powerful fingers tore through the industrial strength plastic easily and the fragrant red fluid spilled into her hands.

Edward spoke quickly to his family, trying to explain his plan. Emmett cracked his knuckles, glad to be able to play such an integral part in Edward's plan. Every single vampire turned towards where the blood was dripping onto the dusty ground. Tanya backed up slightly as she was met with dozens of bright red eyes, all anxious for a taste. As the newborns started rushing towards Tanya, Edward gave the signal. Emmett rushed out of the safety of the shield and approached Maria and Benjamin. He smashed his fist through Benjamin's head, splintering the impenetrable flesh into thousands of crystal like pieces. He grabbed Bella's arm from Maria's grasp and used it like a torch to light the unmoving body of Benjamin aflame. Before Maria could process what had happened, Emmett was back among his family and smiled widely as he raised Bella's hand in a wave and blew out the flame as if it were the candles on a birthday cake.

Maria screamed savagely as she watched the members of her army fighting over the drops of blood escaping from the bags held by the blonde vampire. She took some satisfaction in the fact that her minions would destroy the woman in order to get what was still stuffed in the cooler. She stood facing the Cullens as they struggled to get Bella's arm reattached. She felt a surge of pleasure as she realized that she had managed to burn off two of her fingers. The pleasure did not last long as she watched them succeed in joining the severed limb to her body and Bella once again stood strong with her family. Maria turned, anxious to find Zafrina and escape.

Edward snapped his head towards Maria as he heard her thoughts. No way was he going to allow her to escape and continue to torture peaceful covens of vampires around the country. He turned to Alice, hoping she would be able to predict the outcome of his latest decision. Her eyes flew wide and she shook her head frantically, transmitting her vision of his failure through her thoughts.

Edward looked down at Bella, who was staring blankly at the place where her fingers once were. Thankfully there was enough left of her ring finger that her engagement ring was still able to sit proudly on her flesh. He raised her hand to his lips and placed a soulful kiss against the ring, his eyes meeting hers and showing her that even though she was not whole, she was still all he would ever need. Bella could feel something different in the way his lips moved to cover hers, something final in the way he thrust his tongue against her own and crushed her body against his. Before she could process the fact that his body was saying goodbye, he was rushing away from her and straight towards Maria. Zafrina had managed to resist the call of the human blood that was oozing from the bags and stood next to Maria as they prepared to abandon their followers, who were presently trying to rip the bags of blood from the blonde's hands.

Tanya was not giving up without a fight and the entire Cullen family cringed and rushed to the edge of Bella's protective shield as she let out a bloodcurdling scream. The newborns had banded together in their quest for the blood and realized that if they teamed up against Tanya, they could have it all for themselves. They went for the most vulnerable point, her neck. Dozens of claw-like hands gripped Tanya's throat and her neck was covered in deep gouges in seconds. Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle pulled their wives into their chests, not wanting the girls to have to witness Tanya's imminent death. Her screams were silenced as the newborns succeeded in their quest and Tanya's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, the bags of blood spilling into the dirt around her. The vampires dropped to the ground, greedily lapping up the spilt blood. The Cullen men released their wives and went to work, beheading the distracted vampires easily.

The Cullens stood among the piles of body parts, which was all that remained of Maria's powerful army. The only one who noticed that Edward was not among them was Bella. She was looking out into the woods where Edward had disappeared after he followed Maria and Zafrina. She knew he was not planning on returning.

"Where is Edward?" Emmett yelled, suddenly realizing his brother was not among them.

"He left." Bella said, her voice lacking any emotion.

"What do you mean he left?" Carlisle demanded, roughly shaking Bella's shoulders as he tried to get her to respond.

"He kissed me goodbye and followed Zafrina and Maria into the woods. They were trying to escape." She whispered as she finally looked up into the face of her surrogate father. He looked like he had aged in the last few hours, even though that was impossible. He had just witnessed his daughter being mutilated, one of his long time acquaintances being ripped to pieces and now was faced with the fact that his first son might not come back. He spun around and looked for Alice, praying she would have some answers.

"What is it? What do you see?" He demanded as he realized she was cowering into Jasper's side, hiding her face in his shirt.

"I can't see anything concrete. It all keeps changing because he keeps changing his mind. One minute he is confronting them and Zafrina incapacitates him while Maria destroys him. The next minute he returns to us victorious, but I have no idea how it happens." Alice cried.

While the Cullens were arguing amongst themselves, Irina and Kate were mourning the loss of their sister. Tanya had been the wild one, always misunderstood. The sisters rocked together as they watched the flames lick against all that remained of their loved one.

Edward tried to stay at least a mile behind Zafrina and Maria, knowing at that distance he would be able to hear through their thoughts if they noticed he was following them. They were headed towards Canada, hoping to lie low in the great white north while they tried to re-build their army. Edward knew he would not be able to let them succeed. He vaulted into the treetops, hoping he would be able to get the jump on Zafrina so he would not have to worry about dealing with her gift.

Seconds before Edward catapulted himself onto Zafrina, a new voice appeared in his head. He looked around for the owner of the wildly erratic thoughts. He finally located the vampire crouched behind a fallen tree to the left of where the women were standing. The stranger's eyes were trained on Maria as he relived the last time he had seen her.

Maria had tricked his wife, his beautiful Didyme, into using her gift of happiness to influence humans into joining her army. Didyme had been swayed by Maria's charm and never doubted her intentions. When he caught wind of what Didyme was doing, he confronted Maria, but his wife got in the way and was destroyed. He never forgave Maria for what happened to his wife, and now Marcus was ready to take his revenge.

Edward grinned as he realized he unwittingly had an accomplice as he followed Marcus' thoughts to wait for the right moment to attack Zafrina. When Marcus lunged for Maria, Edward dropped gracefully out of the tree and directly onto Zafrina. She bucked and writhed, trying to get him off of her, but he held fast and braced himself against her body as he squeezed his hands around her throat. He felt a sickening crack as her neck broke and he let her lifeless body slide to the ground. He dropped a lighter onto her body and her clothes started to smolder under the flame.

Edward turned and was quickly absorbed into the battle between Maria and Marcus. Neither one was willing to give up as hands flew like lightning around and around, grasping for purchase against impenetrable skin. Maria had more experience fighting, but Marcus had decades of restrained hatred that gave him a subtle edge. Edward averted his eyes as Marcus finally got past her defenses and lowered his mouth to her throat. With an ear piercing squeal, his powerful vampire teeth cut through the flesh of her neck and her head dropped to the brush-covered ground. Edward moved quickly and picked up a fallen branch to use as a torch and spread the flames from what remained of Zafrina to the body of Maria.

Marcus finally acknowledged Edward after the flames had greedily devoured Maria's remains.

"Don't ever let her go." He whispered, before he disappeared back into the trees.

Edward absorbed his words and sprinted back through the trees to where Bella waited for him. He could not wait to start the rest of their lives together.

**A/N: So everything wrapped up nicely right? Hit that button and let me know if you liked it!**

**Go and read The Wedding Party by spanglemaker9. It is AH and completely, mindblowingly amazing. Read Girl with the Red Umbrella by her as well. Just read anything she has ever written. Go… now!**


	43. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**A/N: So sad. Last chapter. Not going to say much except thank you all so much for taking a chance on my first story. I was on pins and needles the first day I posted, praying that someone would read it. I would have never thought I would make it to 700 reviews. **

**Those of you who have consistently reviewed were the ones who kept me going, knowing you were patiently waiting for an update. I can't tell you how much your words meant to me. /hug!**

**Dalloway5906 – I am at a loss for words. I was completely embarrassed to send you that first lemon, but look at me now. I actually use the word 'clit' in this chapter, several times! You keep me real and fix my errors, and for that I can't thank you enough.**

**The epi will post next Sunday and I will be adding some outtakes and missing POV's to '**_**Bidding on Destiny'**_** as they are written, so make sure you have that on alert.**

**Come and check out **_**'Darkness and Light'**_** if you want a good cry and an (eventual) happy ending. Seriously, you will cry. Edward is blind and I might kill off Jasper, not sure yet.  
**

_Please come back. Please come back. Please come back._

Those were the only thoughts running through my head as I stared at the spot where Edward had disappeared through the trees. The putrid smell of burning vampire corpses permeated the air as the boys kept throwing bits and pieces of the newborns into the flames.

After we had made sure that all of the renegade vampires were taken care of, Esme was the first to approach me. I had been unable to do much of anything but make sure I kept everyone covered by my shield, as my mind was occupied with coming up with contingency plans should Edward not return. My best bet was to act quickly so I would not alert Alice to my plans. If I just jumped into the already lit fires, there was no way they could save me. I wondered how Edward and Carlisle had never considered that as a possible way of suicide in all of their research.

I was enveloped in the soft and sweet smelling embrace of Esme just as Alice whipped her head around to me, no doubt having gotten a very graphic vision of me diving into the fire. She glared and shook her finger at me, admonishing me for even entertaining such a thought. I buried my face in Esme's neck, allowing her soothing essence to calm me.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I have no idea what happened. How could I ever have treated you like that?" Esme whispered, her body shaking with anger and disgust.

"It was not really you doing that, I know that. _This_ is the real you." I said, giving her a punishing squeeze to punctuate my words.

She pulled away from me, keeping her hands on my shoulders. The rest of our family was standing around us now, elated that our bond had been restored. I could see Irina and Kate standing on the outside of our little circle, their family having suffered a far greater and more permanent loss than just some misguided emotions. I wanted to apologize for not being able to keep Tanya safe. I wanted to invite them into our family, allow them to share in our love, but I knew they would not. They would go back home to Alaska and mourn their loss for the next few decades. That was the good and bad aspects of having a photographic memory. While Tanya would always be fresh in their minds, so would her brutal death.

Alice's quiet gasp got everyone's attention as we spun around to see her face break into a breathtaking smile. She must have seen something good to garner that kind of response. I spun from Esme's hold and ran full tilt at Alice. She caught the vision of my intentions seconds before I bowled her over, peppering her face with kisses.

"Yes! No better way to end a good fight than some girl on girl action." Emmett cheered, as Rose snuck her hand under his arm and pinched the sensitive skin along his ribs. He yelped like a child and pushed her away from him as he pouted.

"Its good isn't it?" I whispered as I squeezed my arms around her. She laughed loudly and grabbed my face with her hands, pressing her lips fully against mine. Jasper let out a choking cough as he watched his wife making out with another woman.

"It is great! All I can say is thank God for Marcus." Alice yelled as she finally released her hold on my lips. I was completely confused after the extreme display of sisterly love. I sat back on my heels as I watched her.

"Should I know what that means?" I asked quietly as I used my finger to rub off the remnants of Alice's flavored lip gloss. "Ewww Alice, why do you taste like root beer?"

"Umm, that would be for me." Jasper said shyly as we all turned to stare at him.

"What? I like the taste." He stated, as he moved to pick Alice up off of the ground. He pulled her in for a desperate kiss, pulling back quicker than I expected as he turned to glare at me.

"You kissed it all off Bella." He pouted. We all laughed as Jasper helped to lighten the mood, as always.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the slight movement coming from the trees across the clearing. I took off running, leaving my family behind. I threw myself at him, completely wrapping my body around his. I was barely able to make out his words, he was speaking so quickly.

"I love you. I love you. I'll never let you go. You are mine forever. I love you my precious girl."

Using my hands against his shoulders, I pushed him back only far enough so I could look at him. His eyes were wild, black and gold fighting for supremacy. I ran my hands through his hair and he closed his eyes, relaxing against my touch. When he opened them again, they were pure gold and filled with so much love I couldn't look away. He brought his lips to mine, easing his tongue between my parted lips and sighing into my mouth. I sucked his tongue into my mouth and his grip on my waist tightened. I moaned as he reached one hands down to palm my ass while he ground his obvious erection against me.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but we still have some things to deal with." Carlisle said as he averted his eyes while he walked towards us. Edward growled low in his chest as he slowly removed his tongue from my mouth, his venom leaving a sweet taste on my tongue. He was licking his lips, his face questioning as he glanced at his father.

"Oh, I am sorry I missed that. It looked entertaining. Now stop thinking about it you dirty old man." Edward chuckled as he admonished Carlisle, who had the good graces to look embarrassed as he replayed mine and Alice's make-out session.

"I might have to get you some of that lip gloss myself. It does taste good." Edward whispered in my ear as he swatted my behind, encouraging me forward.

We held hands as we followed Carlisle back through the trees. Everyone wanted to hear how Edward had managed to defeat Maria and Zafrina and he was more than happy to share his good luck in having Marcus as an ally. Jasper wanted to hear all about the fight, move by move. His inner soldier was trying my patience, all I wanted to do was get my man into a hot bath and then into me.

I had an idea as to how to best distribute the crowd and luckily Alice was able to stop me in time. She grabbed me by the back of my shirt and towed me inside, yelling towards the others as we went.

"I need to get this one in a cold shower ASAP or we are all going to be brutally embarrassed. Edward get your ass in here!" Alice yelled while I unsuccessfully tried to hold in my giggles.

Edward came running into the house, looking from where Alice stood smirking at the base of the stairs to where I was slumped on the couch trying desperately to curb my laughter.

"What is going on?" He questioned with a smirk on his face as Alice was no doubt trying to think of anything to distract him from what I had been planning. He would have been furious at me if I had followed through with my plans, but I knew Alice would not let me go through with it, which was what I was counting on.

"Your fiancé needs some attention." She said before flipping me the bird and flouncing back outside. "We will head out to hunt so you can have some privacy."

"Thanks so much sis!" I yelled after her. I turned my eyes to the master of my heart and body and could not restrain the sigh of relief that we had been successful.

"God I love you." He whispered as he walked over to where I sat and tugged me up into his arms.

"I love you." I breathed as I let my tongue ride along the shell of his ear. I closed my eyes as I felt him speed up the stairs, stopping only when he reached our bathroom.

"Shower or tub?" He offered as he started to slowly strip the clothes off of my body. I debated my options before quickly choosing the shower. We had already made love in the tub once, and I was not really craving a slow, drawn out session of lovemaking. I wanted to celebrate our success and I thought the best way to do that was to have him fuck me up against the shower wall.

"Shower." I moaned as he was finally successful in peeling my clothes from my body and had captured my nipple in his mouth. I pushed him away and attacked his clothes, leaving us both naked and panting. He adjusted the temperature and I stifled a laugh as I remembered him walking in on me in this very shower while I was still human. There were so many things we had crammed into such a short time.

He walked backwards into the stall, crooking his finger to me as he stepped under the spray. I stood immobile as I watched the water slide over the defined muscles of his chest. The clear liquid caressed his abdomen as it slowly made its way to his engorged cock. I thought my dead heart would beat out of my chest as it twitched as I watched it.

"Come here!" He growled, causing a flood of moisture to seep out of me. His nostrils flared as the moist heated air brought my scent to him. I stepped into the stall and shut the door behind me. Before I could blink he had me up against the wall, my thighs spread across his hips. He lowered his mouth to mine, our tongues battling as I ran my hands up and down his spine. I slid my hands around to his chest, moving down until I cupped him in my palm. I had barely gotten possession of his cock when he pushed my hand away roughly.

"I'll cum baby." Just let me make you feel good first." He whispered in my ear as he lowered himself to his knees, keeping my body against the tile wall. He placed my thighs on his shoulders and buried his face between my legs. I was really glad he did not need to breathe, because what he was doing felt so good I was not going to let him come up for air. He circled his tongue around my clit before moving lower and teasing my opening. I cried out as his fingers joined the party and he thrust two of them into me while sucking gently on my sensitive bundle of nerves. I was chanting his name over and over with a few "oh God's" thrown in for good measure. I lost count of how many orgasms I had, but finally Edward must have figured I had enough, because he dropped my legs to the ground and slowly stood up. I mauled his face, sucking his tongue into my mouth and moaning loudly as I tasted myself on him.

"Turn around baby and grab the bar." Edward whispered as he pulled away from me. I was more than happy to comply as I bent at the waist and spread my legs wide, reaching over to grab the towel bar imbedded in the tile wall.

"Is that what you wanted?" I asked sweetly as I swayed my hips back and forth. I could hear his rough growl as he grabbed my hips and quickly slid his cock deep inside me. We both cried out as he started to thrust his hips against mine. The water had turned cool by now, but neither of us noticed as he pushed against me again and again. His hand reached around and pressed against where we were joined and I fell into ecstasy again and again. I felt him stiffen moments before he came, calling my name.

We fell in a heap together on the shower floor, the cool water now a balm on our overheated skin. I looked down into my hand and was shocked to see the towel bar still gripped tightly in my fingers. I laughed loudly and Edward looked over my shoulder to see what was so funny. He chuckled softly as he pulled the ruined bar from my hand, kissing where my pinky and ring fingers should have been.

"Even without all of your fingers you are still breaking stuff." He laughed.

I looked up into his smiling face and realized that it did not matter to him if I was missing fingers and was still the most uncoordinated person in any room, in his eyes I was perfect. I knew I would hear it for the rest of our lives from our siblings that Edward technically owned me, since he bought me at an auction, but I knew the truth. I owned his heart and he owned mine, forever.

**Sorry it is short, I am out of practice writing fluff! Look for the epi next week. Love you all!**


	44. Chapter 44 Epilogue

**What is this…the long awaited Epilogue? Yes…your eyes are not lying…**

"Demetri…come here boy." I yelled, knocking the bag of treats against my thigh to encourage him to come back inside.

"I can't believe you named him that." Edward chuckled behind me. He set his chin on my shoulder and let out an ear piercing whistle that had our boxer sprinting up the stairs and into the house.

"Wow…we should call you the dog whistler." I joked. He did not think it was funny.

"So Charlie is okay with watching him while we are gone?" He asked, pulling the bag of treats out of my hand and stuffing it into the already overflowing basket of Demetri's toys and food.

"Yep…he said he was excited to have his Grandson over for a visit." I said, rolling my eyes. Charlie was devastated when I told him that my 'condition' had made me infertile. Of course it was not that fake disease that made me unable to bear children, but we were not telling my father that.

"Well I know how much Esme and Carlisle enjoy when he visits." Edward smiled as he clipped the leash on Dem's collar and pulled him out the door.

We were heading off on our honeymoon…a few years late. After everything that happened after the battle we decided to just lay low for a while. We got married in a beautiful ceremony in the Cullen's backyard and I could not have asked for anything better. Edward found us a small house close by and we visited frequently but we needed to have that time by ourselves. We needed to get to know each other. Even though we knew we loved each other and were mates, we still were practically strangers.

Now we knew each other inside and out and I was ready to have him all to myself on a secluded island beach. I did not want to have to worry about anyone seeing us in all our sparkly glory and Carlisle generously offered up the use of his private island in the Caribbean. A private jet was standing by at SeaTac to fly us down and after we dropped off Demetri it would be a month of nothing but sand, blood and Edward.

*()*()*()*

"Bye Dad! Remember not to give him any Vitamin R or else you will have to clean up his puke!" I yelled as Edward pulled away from the curb. I relaxed back in the seat and propped my feet up on the dash, even though I knew Edward hated when I did that. And as always, he reached over and swiped my feet down.

"Party pooper." I sneered, sticking my tongue out at him. He laughed and tried to grab my tongue but I was quicker.

"Stop it Mrs. Cullen…" He laughed as he easily maneuvered the car through the city streets and towards the airport.

"You know you love it." I smiled.

"You know I do."

*()*()*()*

"Oh my God Edward…this is amazing!" I sighed as he carried me over the threshold of the little house. The walls were all cream and the floors a blond wood. I loved it.

"Do you want to go swimming?" He smirked, knowing how much I loved it when he would hold his breath and go at me under the water.

"Not yet…I think I need some practice on land before we take it into the water." I laughed as I slowly started to peel my shirt off. His jaw dropped when he saw what I was wearing underneath.

"Dear God Bella…you will be the death of me." He breathed as he took in the black lace and leather corset and matching panties.

"Come here my big bad vampire." I demanded, trying to make my voice all sexy. It must have worked because not seconds later he was at my side, his own shirt gone and his pants only held up by the sharp points of his hipbones.

"You want to play Bella?" He whispered in my ear as he slowly walked around me.

"Yes." I breathed.

"Okay." He said, as he walked over to one the chairs at the dinning room table and pulled it over.

"The bidding starts at $10,000. Do we have any takers?" He said, trying to make his voice sound deeper. Chills ran up and down my spine at his words and I linked my fingers together to keep them from shaking. I remember that day so vividly. I was so scared…petrified really. But if it had never happened then I would not have my happily ever after with Edward.

Edward looked right in my eyes before he slowly raised his hand.

"I'll start the bidding…and I'll end the bidding…cause she is mine. She's my destiny."

**Awwww…**

**I know…I know…totally fail.**

**More than a year to get this out. **

**I suck. **

**But there it is. A happy ending for our pair. **

**I hope this was not too disjointed from the original 43 chapters because I would hope that my writing has gotten a bit better by now.**

**Thank you so much!**


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